New-York tribune., 1873-04-12
YCG OY BAIRACHIANs.

EGG OY BAIRACHlANh ..
Having seen something OF the great diversity amops
The egCs characerzng different classes oil the amman
kingdom. wo may now consider the functions OF inc
egg iiself-that is the part which eggs take 10 tno
history OF generation. / cannot dwell 100 emphau-
cally upon the fact that eggs are produced anu
grow without any agency OF the male animal iheS
are production OF the female organism 30 true " '
that the ovarian egg may be found in animals ocioo
they have reached maturity; before they have com
plotcd their physical growth-nay. ovarian eggs nave
even been observed IN the bryo before birth NetDer
do successiyo generations begin with the birth o ne"
individuals. but with the formation of the egg ilo"'
which these individuals proceed. We must look uio"
upon the egg tho starting point of the com
phcated structure OF the adult being. IL is' as
il were a sieve through which the quahtes ua"s.
mitted by parents to their offspring are Sned "hn'
ever pecuiarty boro may be In the new being has us
foundation in the egg within those narrow limits dre
crcumscrbed all the conditions OF change ana therc
fore II Of paramount importance To know 'uo os
receives and what it transmits We cannot inNesuS"o
TINS part the subject too closely u Is oi 'IIi i
portance to the question. And set have not seen
discussed In connection with the various explanations
OF the origin and dverst OF life recently attempted
The ere arises IN the maternal organism without co
operatop of the other and can transmit Ony "na'
il receives directly from the maternal orglhism OF Ho
the psernai organism through contact WIN tue ""
t.rna or from ancestors through one or both Ihefe
has ney been
has grown to be anything hut being similar TO its
nercnts and vet the possbiiies modification arc 80
numerous under these conditions. and tho range OF
variation so great AS to make us wonder tue moro a.
tie consancy OF types.
NOTIFICATIONS puE 70 ANCESTRY AND SIX
suppose for instance. that a male and female u deal
here with the subject the most general way without
reference TO any particular species or type OF amman
produce three new individuals. Tho three may be all
males or all females or two may be females and the
third male or rice Uersd The three may all resemble
the mother have her features her stature her pbysca
tendencies generally; "a they may all reseinoe tnc
father or one or two OF the three may resemble the
mot,er the third resemble the father or only one
may resemble the mother the other two being ike the
father or they may combine the physical features OF
both parents Or may present such acombinaon ana
the others follow distinctly the other parent Any
one case be the offspring less numerous. VIII
show us what variety Of notifications arises
merely from tho contact OF two beings 10
nroduce ono or more new individuals. But
the matter Is still further complicated These new
individuals have had grandfather and grandmother on
the maternal side. and grandfather and grandmother
on the paternal side. You are all familiar with the
singular fact well known in the human family. aud
often observed throughout the whole animal KINGDOM
that children may resemble their parents at ALL but
be strkingy like their grandparents Thus IN tho new
indiyiluaIs the same combinations which might arse
from their immediate progentors may also pass To them
from generation from their grandparents or
even from their greatsrandparents, or further back
still This reproduction OF the features Of nearer or more
remote ancestors in their descendants is we'll known
and recurs frequently that is looked upon by nat
raIists as law called the law of atavism. There
are historically recorded instances of the reappearance
Of characteristic family features after lapse OF several
generations
All these nricacies Of inheritance. frequently in
terruped and seemingly so caprieiously reproduced.
must DO connected with the through which all such
Influences pass TO the new being Suppose for instance
that any features traits, physical moral or intel
Iectual are handed down from male grandparent
through the paterna side In such an instance the egg
which produces the individual does not receive the
direct transmission Of inherited qualities for as have
said that egg arises the maternal organism and has
life and growth its before the act OF formulation
takes place Through that act Of formulation the i'm
presson must be made by which those inherited quail
ties are received and transmitted to the new individual
Where the ne individual reproduces the maternal ea
lures only or features characteristic Of the maternal
line OF descent the may seem at first sight more
simple but when analyze 1t in all its bearings, we
shall see that there Is matter enough for WONDER and
that we az yet know almost nothing about the mystic
rious problem OF life What there be OF material
nature transmitted through these bodies called eggs
themselves composed of the simplest material elements
and arising In the female organism without coOperstimSn on
which ali peculiarities ancestry belonging to either
sex are brought from generation 10 generatont
COMPLICATIONS oP THE GROWING EGG.
The egg as We have seen is In its ncpien condition,
only an organic granue arising between the structural
cells of the oyary 1t grows thero and acquires n
markable complication before 1t has completed its
oessiye phases as an egg Not until 1t has reached the
state which have described that OF the perfect egg
does 1t the contact OF the spermatic cells from
which dates the formation OF new being, either male
or female. This In itself Is strange thng-that
mother produces, not necessarily being Ike hersef
but quite as often beings unlike herself In structure
as TO be endowed with all the pecuarites OF the male
se1. In the orginatOn OF new species this double
series OF must be included and combined In
the proportions necessary 70 produce being differing
all foregone species. and capable OF maintaining
its pattern generation after generation.
There IN feature IN the growth OF the OF which
have as yet said nothing The yek. that homogeneous
substance which fills the vitelne membrane which
swim the germinatiye vesicle and germinatiye dot
give rise 10 the individual. 1t Is selfkneadlng,
broken by the process OF It's own growth into smaller
or larger numOer OF distinct fragments.
THE PROCESS KNOWN AS "sBGNESTATros"
This breaking up of the whole substance which simu-
ates dsntegraton ends In recommendation; these frag-
mens reunite to form the out OF which the new
germ to developed. This process is known as seq.
menation and has been observed the eggs of all ami
mammaia, in birds in reptiles, in fishes, among srticu-
lates, among mOusks and radiates. This process
or may not be initiated by Foundation Theru are some
animals in which the first appearance OF augmentation
may precede Foundation; Others In which 10 Is always
subsequent to fecundaton IN no animal Is the process
known TO be completed without formulation. Neither
does 1t take place In all animals In the same manner