Spifogyra. 2 3 



scum is not to be wholly despised ; run your 

 fingers through the water where it floats and you 

 find clinging to them innumerable long, green 

 threads, like the hair of some strange water-maiden. 

 Now put one of these tresses under the lens. 



You will find, probably, that you have captured 

 one of the numerous forms of spirogyra, and that 

 these long green hairs lie side by side, parallel to 

 each other, and untangled. 



Each filament is composed of long tube-like 

 cells placed end to end; and running in spirals 

 of beautiful form about these cells are bright-green 

 lines, — the chlorophyll, or plant color, which, 

 without the revealing help of the microscope, we 

 see in mass and so rudely that the filaments appear 

 to the naked eye lines of unbroken green. 



Lying in the water this simple plant, with no 

 roots, no leaves, takes to itself the nutriment it 

 needs. The protoplasm which forms the internal 

 living part of each long cell absorbs and digests, 

 just as protoplasm everywhere does. 



Spirogyra, too, reproduces itself, else whence 

 would arise the bright-green felt-work that covers 

 the ponds so soon? 



Life must be sweet even to it, and it will not 

 die. Do not think reproduction in this green 

 scum is a simple matter, for what life is simple? 

 What living thing ignoble? 



All the mysterious forces of life dwell in our 

 humble spirogyra, and that attraction, which in 



