ii8 THE ORIGIN OF LIFE 



are not cells, but rather crystalline in structure ; and 

 they doubtless belong to the class of organic crystal- 

 loids, frequently observed when gelatinous bodies are 

 allowed to dry. 



The bodies investigated by Lehmann which he has 

 called liquid-crystals are extremely curious indeed, 

 and may possibly come under the classification of 

 Quincke's foam-cells, which, as we have said, are at 

 times doubly refracting : but really more cellular than 

 crystalline in their structure, as well as in their 

 behaviour. 



These illustrations are as worthy of examination as 

 they are beautiful to look upon. To the uninitiated 

 eye, however, in the absence of the polariscope they 

 might easily be mistaken for mere globules, as 

 frequently they are quite spherical, or at any rate 

 smooth and curvilinear in their boundary : and this 

 might lead one to suppose that they are merely 

 bubbles. But to one who has seen much of them, 

 they can be distinguished from mere bubbles or 

 ordinary globules almost at a glance. 



Whether, indeed, the primitive cell of protoplasm 

 was formed by some simple means it, of course, 

 cannot be shown ; but to my mind, and to the minds 

 of many, it seems tolerably clear that if cellular life 

 originated by purely physical processes, — as there is 

 very little reason to doubt, — such a process as that 

 which we see taking place in a much simpler way in 

 the formation of these artificial cells was a factor of 

 the highest importance in their formation. 



