498 ANIMAL NATURE OF DIATOME.E. 



his merit ever be impaired, or the benefits he has conferred 

 on science be diminished. The loss will accrue only to 

 those who, disdaining the fatigue of observation, content 

 themselves with the authority of a master, and accept 

 indifferently his real discoveries and his errors. Heaven 

 be praised, the day of authority has passed away, and he 

 who bends to the yoke, may wander in peace, but science 

 will not proceed the less, and may even derive advantage 

 from these errors. From the study of the Desmidiese, 

 and comparing them with animals, valuable knowledge 

 on the intimate structure of vegetables has been derived. 



The very beautiful observations of Flotow, upon what 

 he terms Hcematococcus pluvialis, seem to prove its 

 animal nature. Nor does the appearance of some, Algae 

 (determined by Klltzing from the figures as TJlothrix tener- 

 rima, TJ. tenuissima, Gloiodictyon viride, 8fc.) in the vessel 

 where the supposed Hcematococcus had remained im- 

 mersed in water for some time, after having been pre- 

 viously dried for fourteen months, certainly demonstrate 

 that these represent a different stage in the existence of 

 the same being. If such were the case, we must infer 

 fi'om it, that in despite of all appearances of animal nature, 

 this Hcematococcus was really nothing but the germs of 

 some Algae, and therefore vegetable.* 



We are led precisely to this conclusion by the still 

 more accurate and valuable observations of Kiitzing, on 

 the metamorphoses of iJf?croy/e«a monadina into Vlothrix 

 zonata, and of CJilamidomonas Fuhiscidus into Stygeoclo- 

 nium stellare. Some may raise a doubt whether the 

 globules, from which the filaments of Stygeoclonium are 

 developed, were precisely the same as those that moved 

 at first, and were furnished with a red spot and a 

 ciliary appendage; and again, whether they were pre- 

 viously mixed together, and confounded with the others, 

 owing to their resemblance in external aspect, or only 

 made their appearance {comparsi) subsequently. But 



* See the following paper in this volume. Also on CUamidococcus and 

 i;.; — .•j„™„„„, jjj ' Braun on Rejuvenescence.' — Ed. 



