The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-12-19

kuOWn u O9CllIhIe or 10 pASS lntO each
other; indeed, the only structural differ.
ences known between Individuals Of the
same stock are monstrosities, or peculi-
arities pertaining to sex, and the litter are
as abiding and permanent as type ITSELF y
Bis next assertion Is that no primary di.
vision. OF the animal kingdom will stand
which will not bear the test applied by
Cuvicr to his four great groupes: Radl.
ates, Mollusks, Articulates !and Verte-.
brates; that Is to say, the test of distinct
plan OF structure for both. EJ lJrl
The article then briefly reviews the
different books published by Darwin, and
says that "Pangeneais." In which the
whole theory is summarized, "does not
prove more conclusively what was al.
ready known, namely, that all domesti.
Gated animals and cultivated plants are
traceable TO distinct species, and that the
domesticated pigeons which furnish so
large q portion Of administration arc, not.
withstanding their great diversity under
special treatment, no exception, 10 this
rule" This review closes with the asser-
ton that tho greater part Of the argument,
bothwith Darwin and his followers. Is
purely negative, and rests partly upon
the assumption that, tS'in tho succession, Of
ages, just those transition types shaye
cropped out from the geological record
which wonld have proved the Darwinian
conclusions, had these types been presery-,
ed, and that, In tho living animal, the
process oil transition Is too subtle for de.
lection, thus throwing of the response.
bility Of proof with respect to embryonic
growth and geological succession"
Concerning the famous discovery"
made by. Knowalevsky, Of tho presence
In the Ascidians Of string OF cells cor
responding to the dorsal cord in Verte.
brates, the article says that the existence
Of this string OF cells was previously
known to naturalists, and that he himself
had intended 10 say something Of their
nature and position, had he not been an.
ticipated by Won Baer, who has recently
published a pamphlet upon the develop.
ment Of the Ascidians as compared with
the Vcrtebrates, in which pamphlet he
shows that the string Of cells runs along
the ventral side Of the body OF the Asci-
dams, and that their development has no
true homology with thai, Of. the Verte.
brates, ITO say that the first Y rtebrates
Of ther progenitors carried their back
bones in this matter" said Prof. AgaesiZ,
lis about as reasonable Us to say that
they walked on their heads" ?,
The doctrine of sHmekel that starllehes
arc compound animals gmade up, assiEl
were ,sof worm life being nhited like rays
In, one organism, D doctrine which, IL true,
would establish q transition from Radiates
to Articulates, Is pronounced 10 be an as
sumption without foundation in the struc-
ture OF the startish. The arms OF these
animals beng made up Of the same parts
as the vertical zones OF all Radlates, and
arranged around vertical axis, cannot be
compared to those Of any Articulate, In
which class the paris are arranged along
o longitudinal axis, I'D a.
The topics OF mctamorphQsis, heredi. |
tary and natural succession, are very
briefly considered, and the article closes |
with consideration OF tho geological side |
Of the question, in which ground Is taken
against tho theory Of transmutation, since
the whole history oil geological succession
shows that lost In structure is by no means |
earliest in time, and since, therefore, 1t
may be said that great diversity types
has existed from the beginning.
In the closing paragraph, Professor
Agassiz mapped out the course which he
to pursue in future articles, say
Ing, II hope to show-tirst that however
broken the geological record may be,
there is a complete sequence in, many
parts Of 1t, from which the character Of
the succession may be ascertained; sec
Ondly, that since the most exquisitely del.
icate structure, as well as embryonic
phases Of growth Of the most pcrishable
nature, have been preserved from very
early deposits, we have no right to infer
the disappearance Of types because their
absence disproyes some favorite theory;
aud lastly, that there is no evidence OF
direct descent Of later from earlier species
Ia the geological succession oil animals"