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THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



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on the 35th day, when the reaction of the fluid was also found 

 to be still slightly acid. On one of the above-mentioned 

 flakes there was found a minute whitish mass about the size 

 of a small pin's head, which, on examination, was seen to 

 consist of a mycelial tuft, having small but perfect filaments 

 though without any trace of fructification. The filaments 

 themselves were about 15-^00" ^^ diameter, but varied sfightly 

 in size, and contained a minutely granular protoplasm with- 



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out dissepiments. The numerous branches came off at 

 right angles, and the whole organism had all the appearance 

 of being a living fungus. 



The other silicate solutions in which organisms have been 

 encountered were quite different in composition. They have 

 been prepared by adding to one ounce of distilled water 

 three grains of ammonic phosphate and about eight minims 

 of sodic silicate solution. Such a mixture always had a 

 slightly alkaline reaction, and it was sometimes used in this 

 condition and sometimes after it had been rendered neutral 

 or very slightly acid by the addition of a few drops of dilute 

 phosphoric acid. The addition of the phosphoric acid 

 seemed, however, to modify the result very much, since four 

 slightly alkaline solutions with which experiments have been 

 made have proved entirely barren, whilst three out of five 

 solutions whose alkalinity had been neutralised by the acid, 

 either contained organisms or spiral fibre masses. In all 

 cases the solutions were boiled^ for from three to five minutes, 

 and the necks of the flasks were hermetically sealed during 

 this process, and after the expulsion of all air. One flask, 

 which had been prepared six months previously, and whose 

 vacuum was ascertained to be scarcely if at all impaired, was 

 found, when opened, to contain a fluid which still had a very 



■ X 



^ The silicates are held in solution very feebly, and, unfortunately, are 

 in part precipitated, by the process of ebullition, in the form of bluish- 

 white, cloud-like flakes, which show, on examination with high powers 

 of the microscope, a very minutely granular composition. . 



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