202 



LIFE, IN ITS INTERMEDIATE FORMS. 



leaves of Myriophyllum are pretty sure to be more or less 

 studded with the erect tubes, which are quite visible to the 

 -naked eye. 



On being brought under the microscope with a power 

 of 100 or 150 diameters, you can see a tall chimney of 

 a yellowish-brown hue, standing on a leaf, slightly widen- 

 ing from the bottom upwards, and terminating in an irre- 

 gular edge. Presently, a pellucid body peeps from the 

 summit, like a sweep out of the chimney-top (pardon the 

 similitude), and, rising higher and higher, suddenly unfurls 

 a disk of four expansive petals, not altogether unlike those 

 of a Heart's-ease, but made of crystalline material, and set 

 round the margins with a row of those beauteous cilia, 

 whose dark waves chase each other in ceaseless play, up 

 and down, round and round, in the most charming manner. 



Behind the disk, which by a bend of the upper part of 

 the body is brought to assume a vertical position, there is 

 a little hemispherical cavity on the surface, which is lined 

 with cilia, and this is connected by a series of cilia with 

 the sinus of the two great upper petals of the disk. 



The ciliary wave, after making the circuit of the disk, 

 passes off behind in a great current through the sinus 

 just alluded to, carrying with it all the floating particles 

 that are not fit for food, or that have not been carried into 

 the mouth. These particles are hurled along until they 

 reach the little hemispherical cavity, in which they are 

 caught and whirled round and round with great rapidity. 

 Here, too, they are probably mixed with some glutinous 

 secretion, and the effect of the gyration is the consolida- 

 tion of the particles into a little globular pellet. No sooner 

 is this ready, than the animal quickly bends forward its 



