THE HUMAN AND THE POND AMCEILE. 71 



important, because it seems to be doing a work of its 

 own. This is the first time we have found one part of 

 a cell doing something different from another part. In 

 the yeast and mould the PROTOPLASM-jelly is " maid-of- 

 all-work ; " it does every thing — bakes, brews, builds, 

 and " tends baby," too ; but the amoeba seems to be 

 looking up in the world and trying to pattern after 

 those establishments which support a separate servant 

 for each kind of work. Inside some of these pond 

 AMCEBiE you will often find green PEOTOCoccus-cells, 

 diatoms, and desmids, and other cells smaller than the 



Fig. 68. 



Diatoms.- - 

 Heart.- 



Pond-Amceba digesting its Food. Amceba eating. 



amoeba-cell itself (Fig. 68). These it feeds upon, and, 

 if you have patience to look long enough, you will .see 

 how it eats (Fig. 69). It has no particular mouth ; the 

 feet seem to taste of whatever comes in their way, and, 

 if they like it, they grasp it and poke it in anywhere 

 through the jelly, or protoplasm, which closes all 



