01 



.538 



THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE 



distributed through the atmosphere^ and. 



indeed, he 



would be a rash man who would promise to find a sino-Ie 



one of such easily recognizable bodies 



amongst the 



products of filtration from the atmosphere^ obtained by 

 a week's work. The Panspermic hypothesis^ indeed 

 breaks down even more utterly with regard to the germs 

 of these comparatively high organisms than it does with 

 reference to the distribution of Bacteria (pp, 6^ 7). But 

 although the almost universal distribution of Rotifers 

 TardigradeSj and Nematoids cannot be at all accounted 

 for by those who rely simply upon Homogenesis and 

 the supposed universal distribution of the germs of 

 these and other organisms^ all the facts may be easily 



explained 



an acceptance of the reality of such 



heterogenetic processes as we have already described, 



the necessary appanage of 



Heterogenesis 



is, in fact. 



Archebiosis — so that the reality of the one process 

 almost necessitates the reality of the other. 



The importance of an adequate ^ consideration of 



was not systematically examined at the time. I was much impressed, 

 however, by the facts which were then wholly inexplicable to me— and 

 as such I recollect mentioning them soon after to two or three eminent 

 biologists. These observations were made very shortly before I left 

 Broadmoor, and since that period the great pressure of other kinds of 

 work has always prevented my following up this observation by new 

 experiments. These, however, had been contemplated, and I had 

 intended to resort to comparative trials of different kinds of meat mixed 

 with similar specimens of earth and water, and at the same time to 

 subject these mixtures to careful and daily microscopical examinations. 

 Experiments and observations of this kind, which still have to be made, 

 wouldj I have no doubt, soon lead to most important results. 



t 



than a » 



crlil 



iscore 



|uestion 

 olution 



of zoolc 



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howev 



Jt 



IS' 



,Wh 



I series 



iiona 



of compl 



will Hetei 



1 mode of o 



So far as anir 



saj that evideiK 



members of eve: 



I class Scolecida 



Heterogenesis. 

 forward in this 



.til modes of oi 

 tlie order A' 



y been 



ma 



re 



tlian those 

 ftat spe 



tow: 



pecimens 



andj-r 



^etero 



^^atol 



a- 1 



genesis ■ 



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 «'ge but hi 



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