OF HETEROGBNESIS 229 



in water for future observation, I smeared round the edge of the 

 cover glass with vaseUne, so as to prevent evaporation, and on 

 examination, after an interval of twenty-four hours, all the speci- 

 mens of Actinophrys were found to have been converted, in this 

 confined situation, into typical though rather sluggish Amoebae. 



If, moreover, we bear in mind that, in most cases, the small 

 masses of Zooglcea which ultimately segment into Monads or 

 Amoebae are absolutely indistinguishable from others which finally 

 segment into brown Fungus-germs ; and that, from an encysted 

 Euglena or an encysted Ciliate, Amoebae, Monads, or Peranemata 

 may take their origin, it looks as if we have in these lower forms 

 of life — the Monad, the Amoeba, the Actinophrys, the Peranema 

 and the Fungus-germ — forms which are to a certain extent, and 

 under varying conditions, interchangeable with one another. 



This will, of course, be absolutely at variance with Weismann's 

 doctrine of ' determinants ' ; but would not be incapable of 

 receiving an approximate explanation in accordance with my 

 view that living matter is still constantly coming into being 

 endowed with a wonderful plasticity ; and that the early forms 

 which it assumes are determined by the ' polarity ' of its molecules, 

 in just the same way that the forms of crystals are a necessary 

 outcome of the polarity of their molecules.^ 



We have seen (pp. 44-46, 63) how surprising are the variations 

 in form and colour of this or that crystalline substance, under 

 the influence of slight changes in the conditions amidst which 

 it is formed. So that new-born living matter, with its extreme 

 molecular complexity favouring isomeric changes, ought also to 

 be capable of displaying kaleidoscopic variations in form. From 

 this point of view, the extreme variability of Bacteria, their fusion 

 into higher forms of life in Zooglcea aggregates, and all the evidence 

 as to transformations and interchangeability in the form and nature 

 of lower organisms adduced in this chapter may be deemed to 

 harmonise with the opinions expressed in this work, though such 

 facts are irreconcilable with commonly received doctrines con- 

 cerning the origin, nature and age of these various lower forms 

 of life. In accordance with generally received views coupled with 

 the doctrine of Evolution, they ought, all of them, to have totally 

 disappeared from the face of the earth millions of years ago. 



' We are driven to the conclusion, in fact, that the simpler the organisms with 

 which we have to deal, the weaker will be the influence of Heredity ; and that, 

 in new-formed living matter, this conservative tendency of Heredity would be 

 no more potent than it is in crystalline matter. 



