The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-10-24
WONDERS OF THE MICROSCOPE.

Judge Thomas B.. Bedding, (of New
Castle, Ind, J fellow Of the Royal Micros-
cepieal Society, writes to the ~Lndtanapolis
journal a very interesting article on the
microscope, from which we take the fol-
lowing, which proves how wonder and
beauty lie all about US:
"Our pond and river waters are so full
of minute life that we hardly know where
to begin to describe the many interesting
creatures we come across. 4 few DAYS
age, In passing a stagnant pond, / observ-
ed a red scum covering quite an area. To
the unaided eye it looked like a fine red
dust, with here and there patches of a
greenish yellow dust among it. | gather
ed a small quantity OF the water in a small
bottle, and. at evening, put a drop of it
upon q glass side, a slip of glass one by
three inches, and laid a very thin piece OF
glass over the drop gently. "a thin piece
of mica will do very well for a cover glass. }
| then proceeded to examine the contents
of the drop of water with pc Ters ranging
from 10 to 800 diameters, and the mi
croscope soon showed a great number of
slowly moving red bodies of all shapes.
Some were drawn out quite long; others
were round; other shaped much like a fat
turnip; others looked like round dumb
bells, and they were engaged in changing
their shapes quite frequently, but all were
evidently of the same species. / could not
say they had any particular shape, for by
the time | could describe one it would
have assumed some other form. When
stretched out at full length they looked
much like a long cigar, rather blunt and
rounded at one end, and sharp pointed at
the other. The rounded end is the head,
and has a small notch, or slight indenta-
ton in its end, and at OF near this energies
a very delicate, whip-lihe a~ppendage abont
as long as the body of the animal, which
is called a fagella, which it keeps in quite
rapid motion. 1t takes a good lens and
careful handling to see this. 1t also has a
small mouth that is very dif1ichlt to see.
just back of the mouth is, generally. a
small clear spot rhine. Still furthur back
another, and sometimes two clear spots.
one of which may often be observed to
open and shut with a kind of rythmical
motion. This is called a centraetile ~vesiele.
The body seems to consist of a very thin
and delicate sack filled with red or green
grains called cells. Sometimes the red
cells greatly exceed the green in number,
and sometimes the reverse is true. Some
times one.half the body is green
and the other half red. 1t goes through a
great many changes of form and condition.
At one time il is a sphere inclosed in n
mass of clear. transparent jelly, collected
in colonies of varying number. In time it
emerges from this jelly and becomes free.
If glass cf water containing them
be placed pear a window. they
will collect in a rcd mass on the
side nearest the light. They multiply
by division mostly. if not wholly, l have
frequently observed the process. The first
sign of division is, usually, the appearance
OF the nuclei: then appears a small notch
III the front end. Tais continues to ex-
tend further and further down the body
till it is completed. and the one becomes
two. During this process the body undei-
goes many twistings and contortions, and
the two parts appear To be trying to pull
apart. Sometimes, when the division Is
nearly completed, | have observed part of
the granules, or cells, from one-half of
the body flow into the other half through
the narrow band of union between them.
When the division is complete, each half,
as an independent, new creature, sets up
for itself. Each of these ia turn under
goes division, and thus the species mul-
tiplied. This process is called ~fission, and
is q very common process of multiplication
among the lower forms of life. There has
been some controversy as TO the name and
classification OF this animalcule, but il is
commonly called astasia hematoides, from
the Greek word ~astasia. ineonstant,
changeable, and the Greek words for blood
like. 1t is very abundant at this time,
and will repay examination. 1t serves as
food for many of the lower forms OF life.
A great many other interesting things
might be told about our a~stasia, but space
will not permit.