H, J. Clark on the origin of Vibrio. 107 
Spanish Colonies in America, which no doubt had its influence 
afterwards upon the recognition of the mane of those 
colonies. The importance of such reports to the government of 
Prussia may be inferred from a perusal of his political and statis- 
tical essays upon Mexico and Cuba. It is a circumstance worth 
noticing that above all great powers Prussia has more distin- 
guished, scientific and literary men among her diplomatists than 
any other State. _And so was Humboldt actually a diplomatist 
in Paris though he was placed in that position, not from choice, 
but in consequence of the benevolence of the King, who wanted 
pi abet an opportunity of being in Paris as often and as long 
e chose 
But from that time there were two men in him,—the diplo- 
were, ie v in the Hotel des Princes, and the naturalist who 
n the Rue de la Harpe, in a modest apartment in the 
edo ame ; where his scientific friends had access to him 
every day before seven. After that he was frequently seen work- 
ing im the library of the Institute until the time when the Grand. 
Pa made his appearance at the court or in the saloons of 
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several editions. With him ends a great period in lane rein 
of science, a riod to which Cuvier, Laplace, Arago, Gay-Lus- 
sac, *, Decandolle and Robert Brown belonged, and of whom only 
Art. XIII.—On the origin le Vibrio ; mien Chark of 
Cambridge, Mass 
(From the Proceedings of the American Academy, Boston, April 1 12, 1859.) 
A FEW months ago a French physiologist, Pouchet, revived the 
long-exploded doctrine of equivocal or spontaneous generation, 
and asserted that he had been able to obtain certain living beings 
iach substances which were entirely shut off from the outer 
world, and in which, after having undergone certain prepara- 
tions, there could not possibly be any germs of these animals, 
A discovery, which I made on the 20th of March, may not be 
~ uninteresting, as it has more or less relations in its nature to the 
y theory so we po ae by Pouchet. There are certain 
p We Silicones escribed as animals by Ehrenberg, under 
- the name of. Vibrio, aa amd consists in that they are 
