98 Correspondence of J. Nickles. 
side of Messrs. Joly, Musset, and others, giving it as his opinion 
that spontaneous generation is a possible fac 
His later experiments, like those which ; published an ac- 
count of in 1863, were made with eggs. At that time he wrote: 
spontaneous generation. Since then beau have been raised 
which decided Donné to resume his experiments. He reasoned 
thus: “The small quantity of air contained in the eggs was per- 
Fike! not sufficient to determine the phenomenon of a spontane- 
ous generation, that is, to give life to a certain molecular arrange- 
ment of organic matter oe aese bred he conducted his ex- 
carded cotton. This time he obtained a generation of different 
kinds of mold, but found no traces of animalcules. He con- 
cen Ist, « Microscopie vegetation may be produced at will m 
organic matter, left to itself, and protected from the intervention — 
of “foreign germs. 2d. Air is necessary to the development of — 
infusorial animaleules. 3d. Air is ste pirate to spontaneous 
generation in both kingdoms. The temperature of 80° is the 
most favorable to these productions.” 
these conclusions the adversaries of the doctrine oppose 
their usual objections, viz., there were sources of error in the — 
experiment, atmospheric germ rms in some way penetrated the eggs — 
of which the shells were broken. The question thus remains — 
still at the same point, and up to the present time it cannot be 
said to be experimentally resolved. 
Mexican tifie Commission.—This commission, instituted — 
by M. V. Duruy, Minister of Public Instruction, continues its 
labors, which will son of be the only work to survive the ul-— 
has ‘sieatele containing geological papers by J. Marcou u 
the frontiers between Mewes eee the pers by States; by ] 
Dolfus, Pavie, oa “er on a volcanoes ; and the weo ogi 
sections from V to Mexico. Other papers are reports 
upon the Mexi fe atts wt flora, also upon the ruins of Ux 
mal and Mayapan, Ti-hoo and Izamal, &c. ; 
