112 
THE BLOOD-LIKE PHENOMENA. 
the attention on surveying a district, and assigns a peculiar character 
to those substances, which, taken singly, are wholly overlooked, and 
thus seem of no consequence. Let us keep in mind what are the so 
called colourless organic meteoric substances; and which are as 
follows: 
VEGETABLE BODIES. 
1. Actinomyce metoric alba (Tremella met.) matter of common 
falling star. 
2. Nostoc commune, as the jewel of the alchemists. 
3. Spumaria mucilago, or Ethalium flavum, which comes within 
this class. All the observations that are known to me regarding 
these bodies, especially the first two, excepting the single one from 
Italy hy Menzel, are very unsatisfactory. 
b. ANIMAL BODIES. 
Much has been said about infusoria flying about in the atmosphere; 
and the existence of meteoric infusoria, assumed as credible, had 
been made the foundation of other hypotheses, but supported by no 
direct observations. I know only three observers who maintain this 
opinion. Gleichen found infusoria in snow which he melted in his 
room ; and Muller quotes the representation of Kolpoda pyrum 
(Gleichen S. 150, k. 27, f. 18-20.) 
Whether the snow was taken as it fell, or somewhere from the 
ground, is not mentioned, nor whether the vessel and the object glass 
were intentionally cleaned. As it is probable that Gleichen was 
interested only in observing the influence of cold on these animalculae, 
and in this respect alone found the observation worthy of attention, 
the proof of its being a meteoric production falls to the ground. 
Bory de St. Vincent mentions in Diet. Classique, art. Enchelys, 
p. 158, that he often observed infusoria in snow and drops of rain. 
As he does not name them, however, we may feel convinced that he 
did not observe them with particular acuteness. 
Professor Schultze, in his work, entitled Microscopic Examinations 
of Robert Brown’s discovery of Living Animals in all Bodies, &c. 
1828, expresses himself very decidedly, indeed the most decidedly of 
all. He does not, indeed, speak of meteoric propagation, but sup¬ 
poses, he observed, that the dust hovering every where in the at¬ 
mosphere was mixed with dried infusoria, among which he perceived 
the Furcularia rediviva (Rotifer vulgaris) and Monades. These 
examinations are certainly founded on error. That dried infusoria 
scattered and floating about as atmospheric dust, or dust from books, 
can resuscitate, we can no longer believe, being now better acquainted 
