S4¡ Froceedings of the Asiatic Sociciy of Bengal. [No. 1, 



the smallest quantity of water, on the surí'ace or in the deepest fathom- 

 able part of the ocean, in the tropical and in the polar regions. Some 

 recent Diatomacese in fresh water would be shown under the microscope, 

 some from Atlantic soundings 2,070 fathoms, after which he, Dr. C, 

 would exhibit some in a state intermedíate between recent and fossil 

 from guano, the urinary and fcecal excrement of sea-birds. The 

 silicious cases of the Diatomacese which have been taken by the 

 birds with their food, generally fish, who also have previously taken 

 these Diatomacese as food, (most likely in eating seaweed on which 

 the}'' are always very abundant) were not acted upon at all by the 

 alimentary secretions but passed out with the fosees unaltered ; besides 

 which they were found in innumerable numbers in many strata of the 

 earth in diíferent loealities, some of which would also be demonstrated. 

 From their numbers both recent and fossil, and their peculiar inde- 

 structible and often beautifully formed silicious cases they were a very 

 interesting study, besides which, though their remains were so perma- 

 nently preserved for an almost indefinite time, owing to their inde- 

 structible silicious cases, they were amongst the lovvest organized 

 beings, yet they possessed some motive power and have been placed by 

 some naturalists in the animal kingdom. But this motive power in 

 all of the lowest organized beings aróse generally from cilia ; novv 

 these peculiar incessant motive organs were found on some particular 

 part of many of the lowest organized beings both animal and vege- 

 table and therefore were not recognized now as the distinctive character 

 of an animal. The Diatomacese were now placed in the vegetable 

 kingdom as they do not possess any internal assimilating or digestivo 

 organs. The great distinction between the animal and vegetable 

 kingdoms (which is very well marked in the higher organized plants 

 and animáis) in the lower organized beings was this, the animal requires 

 for its nourishment, its life, matter organized either by its own or 

 vegetable processes, which it takes some way or other into 

 the interior of its body, the vegetable for its nourishment, its life, 

 possesses the power of obtaining it by absorbing the inorganic 

 elements on its exterior. Wherever any organized beings under 

 the influence of sun-light were found to decompose carbonic acid 

 and to set free oxygen they might be ranked in the vegetable kingdom, 

 however active their motions may be from cilia or other unknown agents. 



