Biographical Sketch of Prof. Olmsted. 109 
of only three or four, often six to eight, and rarely as high as 
fifty. Very rarely the fibres split longitudinally, and in such 
instances the fibrille were most frequently long, and moved 
about with undulations rather than a wriggling motion. A sin- 
gle ultimate ae when set loose, danced about in a zigzag 
manner; but whenever two were combined, the motion had a 
definite Fre stome merit corresponded to the longer diameter of 
the duplicate combination; and if only three were combined, 
the spiral motion was the result of their united action. What 
it is that causes these cellules to move I do not profess to know, 
but certainly it is not because they possess _ as oe 
beings. This much is settled, however, that we may have 
sented to us all the phenomena of life, as exhibited by the oe 
tivity of the lowest forms of animals and plants, by huts nt 
cellules of the decomposed and fetid striated m 
Sagitta. Ido not pretend to say that Siete sae that prion 
under the name of Vibrio or Spirillum is a decomposed muscle 
or other tissue, although I believe such will turn out to be the 
fact; but this much I will vouch for, and will call on Professor 
Agassiz to witness, that what wo ould be declared, by competent 
authority, to be a living being, and peers a certain species 
of Vibrio, is nothing but absolutely dead muse 
Art. XIV.—Biographical Sketch of Professor Denison Olmsted; 
by Rev. C. S. LYMAN. 
Ir is with deep sadness that we record the death of Pudoaiee 
DENISON OLMSTED, for thirty-four years the honored incumbent 
of the chair of Natural Philosophy and a in Yale 
College. He died at his residence in New Haven, after a few 
weeks illness, on the 13th of May, 1859, in the ispaialte year 
of his 
Bes seas this brief record, it is fitting that this Journal, to 
which Professor Olmsted has been a contributor from its com- 
peer should preserve, as a further tribute to his memory, 
a sketch as our limits will rmit = his career as a man. 
* New Englander for August, 1859. 
