456 



THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



now 



into organisms of a more or less vegetal type^ we have 



to refer to their metamorphoses into decidedly 

 animal forms of various grades of organization. Nothino- 

 is more startling, and yet nothing more common, than 

 to see neighbouring specimens of the same stock of 

 Euglence, without any appreciable cause, turning alono- 

 totally diiFerent lines of development. As Dr. Gros 

 pointed out, <^suivant des circonstances souvent inap- 

 preciables, on voit une vesicule suivre un developpe- 

 ment animal, tandis que sa congenere et jumelle suit 



He also adds: — ' Les circon- 

 stances de chaleur, de saison, de lumiere, de quantite 

 et de qualite de matiere, le plus souvent imponderables, 

 donnent lieu a des caprices de reproduction, si Ton 

 osait appeller caprices ce qui ne tient, qu'a I'insufficance 

 de nos moyens d'observation.' 



un rhythme ve'getal.'. 



lO. 



Infi 



Transformation Into Act'inophrys or Amoeba^ lohkh 

 <.ently become converted into various forms of Ciliated, 



•la. The Actinophrys and the Amoeba are regarded 

 by Dr. Gros ^ as mere intermediate modes of existence 

 into which Euglense are apt to lapse when the conditions 

 operating upon them are not favourable to their more 

 direct transformation into higher forms. 



1 have several times had the opportunity of watching 

 the different stages through which Euglen^ pass during 

 their transformation into Amoeba. It most frequently 

 occurred in this manner :— The Euglena became motion- 



I r 



less and somewhat irregular in shape^ whilst its chloro- 



^ See loc. cit,, p. 330. 



1h 



Inurization 



Jecolou 



ailar changes 



seeme 



transformation 



smaller and si 

 mediate shade 



time tl 



colourless perij 

 ism were exhil 



derations i 



in 



2lso soon beg; 



Wions of chl( 

 *e mass was 

 'annlar Ama 



^5 became 

 %^\\ to 



\ 



"> size i 



in the 





a 



^^sez de 



■Gros 



says 



^ati:. 



^tee 



