60 
LIFE, IN ITS LOWER FORMS. 
died: out, successively, as young ones continually shoot 
forth at the extremities of the branches. 
At certain seasons of the year peculiar vesicles appear, 
which are special organs of reproduction. The analogy to 
a plant is maintained here also; we have already seen the 
development of a stem with buds, growing into twigs and 
branches ; here we have the fruit-capsules bearing the 
germs of another generation. 
Sometimes we find these organs few in number, seated 
here and there in the angle formed by the branches, or 
by the buds with the stalk. At other times they are very 
numerous, crowded together on the stalk, projecting in 
regular succession in the same plane, which forms a right 
angle to the arrangement of the cells. Each of the cap- 
sules or vesicles is a tall, vase-like, transparent body, 
considerably larger than a cell, but closely resembling it, 
except that its summit is abruptly narrowed to a short 
rim like a pitcher. One of these organs is represented in 
fig- A 
The common nutrient flesh permeates the capsule as 
it does a cell, and develops therein a very peculiar em- 
bryo. When somewhat matured, the permeating tube is 
seen swollen out into separate ovate sacs, ten or more in 
number, each of which contains several embryos. Those 
nearest the mouth of the vesicle are first developed, and 
escape successively by slowly emerging from the pitcher- 
like rim. Fig- e represents a vesicle much magnified, with 
its included embryos in various degrees of maturity, and 
one in the act of escaping. The appearance of the tiny 
creature when it finds itself at liberty is most surprising 
and interesting, especially when, from a crowded forest of 
