^Snl\ NovTiml Spontaneous Generation. 261 
It sprang from a small piece of liver lying at the bottom of the 
vessel. This grew from a very small speck when first observed to 
six lines in height by the seventh day. The filaments of which 
the plant is composed are hollow, and with the highest magnifying 
power I. could apply I could observe no cellular structure. It 
branched in a dichotomous manner, and the tubular stems were 
filled more or less with a grumous mass, very thick towards and at 
the base, but gradually lessening in mass and density upwards, 
so that the apical portion of the main and lateral branches 
appeared free and transparent. The diameter of the principal 
branches was about iwoth of an inch in diameter. This plant grew 
very rapidly until it nearly reached the top of the infusion, and at 
this time I clearly saw that it belonged to the genus Leptomitus, 
and that it was very nearly allied to L. lacteus, only that it was 
not constricted at the joints or septa. I shall name this plant 
provisionally Leptomitus Jctisma. On the 12th day it had reached 
the top of the infusion. The exposed portion turned to dull pale 
olive green, and reflected a bluish tint, and when I took some of it 
up to examine it, the portion so taken seemed to me to be entirely 
alive with moving elliptical bodies, measuring from the rs-g-ooth of an 
inch long, and graduating down to the most minute point. These 
were exceedingly active, moving about in all directions. When 
seen singly they appeared of an opaque white, but seen en masse 
they had a pale olive-green colour. I observed that here and there 
one might be seen longer than the others, as if two or more had 
become fused together. These would all of a sudden start off across 
the field of view, driving any that might happen to be in their 
way aside; and when they had full room to move, would swim 
with a whirling or gyrating motion. 
On the sixth day I observed a curious growth, apparently 
springing from one of those bluish-looking sporules before men- 
tioned. These have somewhat the appearance of some of the asci 
of the genus Peziza or Ascololus — compressed, clavate, but con- 
stricted between the sporules, the fronds measured -g^oVo th of an inch 
long. I only saw this one group, and therefore cannot say what 
it really is. It is probably a plant in an incipient form, but I 
know of nothing hke it amongst British plants (Fig. 7). 
The eighth day revealed a very curious and interesting develop- 
ment ; not exactly a plant, but a number of elhptical cells appeared 
imbedded in an inflated bubble, caused, I presume, by the generating 
of some gas from a piece of liver lying at the bottom of the vessel : 
the rest of the liver was also covered with a film protoplasmic 
substance. These cells were very evenly scattered over the bubble 
(Fig. 8). A few of them had united and become more elongated, 
and one or two had either had others attached and become fused 
together, or a long cell had thrown out a short branch at right 
