Nov. 1.1865.] 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



2i5 



If the Volvox be broken up by pressing it tightly 

 between glasses, its outer membrane is resolved into 

 a number of small cells, each crowned with a bunch 

 of hairs, and each capable of spontaneous motion 

 in the water. Naturalists are not yet agreed whether 

 this beautiful creature is an animal or a plant ; most, 

 I think, are inclined to place it in the animal king- 

 dom, though its powers of motion do not neces- 

 sarily exclude it from the vegetable kingdom, as it 

 is well known that certain parts of many undoubted 

 plants are capable of moving spontaneously. 



The strange circumstance that I witnessed, and 

 am about to describe, is not, perhaps, i/ie way, but 

 o?ie of the ways, in which the Volvox gives buth to 

 its young, if it be an animal, or is propagated, if it 

 be a plant. 



I had under the microscope a drop of pond- water 

 containing a Volvox, apparently so ripe, that eight 

 smaller Volvoces within seemed to fill it almost to 

 bursting. Whilst I was looking at it, two Rotifers, 

 one larger than the other, came across the field of 

 view, swimming so closely together, that they looked 

 just as if they were arm in arm. Presently the 

 Volvox attracted their attention ; so they came 

 close up, and began swimming round and round it, 

 always keeping their heads towards it, touching it 

 every now and then, and then rebounding from it. 

 After a short time the smaller Rotifer went away, 

 and then the other, after hovering about for a little 

 while, attacked the Volvox in good earnest. He 

 fixed on one side, and continued pecking at it, as it 

 were, with great rapidity and perseverance, till in 

 about ten minutes he had succeeded in making a 

 small lacerated opening in the external membrane. 

 I, of course, thought the Rotifer was making a meal 

 of the Volvox, as perhaps, in the first instance, he 

 ■was ; but, to my great astonishment, he now sud- 

 denly changed the nature of his labours, and began 

 swimming round and round the object of his atten- 

 tion, constantly butting against it, and rebounding 

 from it, till, in about the space of ten minutes more, 

 he had, by means of the butting process, so com- 

 pressed the side opposite to where he had made the 

 opening, that one of the internal balls was forced 

 out into the water. 



Still the Rotifer continued his labours, and in a 

 little while a second ball was excluded. After a 

 time another escaped, and then a fourth; the 

 Rotifer, all the while working in precisely the same 

 manner. These last took a longer time in being 

 expelled than the first, for the Volvox being 

 partially emptied, greater external pressure was 

 required. 



Having thus helped four young Volvoces into the 

 world, the Rotifer seemed to think he could be of 

 no further use, and went away. And now the 

 remaining four balls, having plenty of room, rolled 

 about inside the parent, and when they chanced to 

 come close to the opening, rolled out into the open 



water. Thus three more escaped ; but the last I 

 never saw expelled, though I watchsd for several 

 hours. 



I have never been able to make further observa- 

 tions on what I have thought a very curious subject. 

 If the facts that I have described were not the 

 result of a chance action, but are such as often take 

 place, then the amount of instinct displayed in 

 creatures as low in the scale of creation as these 

 animalcules, is truly wonderful, and quite on a par 

 with many facts that we observe to take place in 

 the habits of animals that we think to be far above 

 them in intelligence. 



But what about them is not wonderful ? Their 

 forms — their minuteness — their life ; and the same 

 Hand that bestowed these attributes upon the 

 smallest of His creatures, could certainly as readily 

 give them instincts to perform the duties of life that 

 He has destined them to fulfil. 



Robert Holland. 



PHOSPHORESCENCE OE THE SEA, 

 /^N Sunday evening last (October 8th) I had an 

 ^^ opportunity of witnessing this singular- and 

 beautiful phenomenon on a very extensive scale at 

 Hastings. Sitting at the window, I saw the whole 

 surface of the water near the shore covered with large 

 patches of brilliant light. At first I thought it was 

 the reflection of the moon, but I found that the 

 moon had not risen, moreover, the whole of the sky- 

 within view was covered with dark and threatening 

 rain-clouds. Flashes of lightning, at first at rare 

 intervals, afterwards nearly continuoiisly, seemed not 

 to alter the position of the patches of light, but to 

 turn them from the liquid fire (which they looked 

 like in the twilight) to dead silver. I then came to 

 the conclusion that it must be phosphorescence, and 

 sallied out to learn what I could from some of the 

 boatmen or coastguardsmen. I found, however, 

 that they were far from lucid, or agreed on the 

 point. One had seen it " once before this year ; " 

 another "did not recollect seeing it before at 

 Hastings;" another had seen it "very often." 

 They all agreed, however, in the expression, " The 

 water burns." FaUiug in getting any satisfactory 

 information out of my nautical friends, I took to 

 speculation, and attributed the appearance to the 

 decomposing animal and vegetable refuse which is 

 thrown on the shore. I had, however, to give up 

 this hypothesis, for the tide was coming in very 

 strongly, and, to my surprise, I found that the 

 luminous appearance, instead of coming nearer, as 

 it would have done had it originated as I supposed, 

 went farther out to sea, and, on looking through a 

 glass, I foiuid the whole surface, as far as the eye 

 could range, covered more or less with large spots 

 of light. I then gave up guessing, and determined 

 as soon as I arrived in London to consalt the 



