, 1876-07-29


are likewise capable OF transmission in
n dormant state to future generations,
and may then be developed"
The development Of given gcmmulcs
depends nn their union with other pnrt-
tally developed or nasccnt cells mot gem.
mue.) such ~ would precrdc the mat.
gix cells OF the said gcmlnules in the reg
Ular course OF growth. Gcmmurs are
supposed to be thrown OF by every cell
rr unit, not only during the adult state,
hut throughout every stage of growth.
Lastly, he assumes that "thc gcmmulrs
IN their dormant state have mutual af.
Unity for each other leading to their ag-
yregation into buds, or into the sexual
clements" Hence it Is not the repro.
luctive organs, or buds, regarded rs en-
titles, which generate new beings, but
the units of which the individual bud or
organ is composed. These assumptions
cakcn together, constitute the law WHICH
Darwin calls pcngenesis,
This theory has been received very diff:
tcrcn,lv by different scientists, but We
have no space to examine the objections
n Herbert Spencer and Others, most Of
which are discussed by Darwin in the
present edition Of his work There is
no doubt that the hypothesis leaves
many points in doubt, bu. on the other
hand it renders ineligible aud coherent
phenomena which hitherto have appear
ed insulated and obscure. And it is
well to bear in mind the remark of Whc-
well that "hypothescs may often be OF
service to science VIXEN they involve a
certain portion Of incomp!eteneSs or even
error"
1t is probable, however, that the read,
ar will experience some difficulty in ac-
ccpting the doctrine Of pangcnesis, from
the fact that the supposed gemmules
thrown off from each different unit
throughout the body must he so marvel.
lously numerous and minute. We are
asked to believe that every cell Of every
part rs it changes during Development
and we know that some insects undergo
at least twenty ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS on
necessarily casting off these germs All
organic beings, moreover, are assumed
TO include many dormant gcmmues de-
rived from thcir grand parents and more
remote ancestors, though not from all
their progenitors. And these almost in.
tinitely numerous and minute grnnules
arc contained within each bud, ovule,
spcrmatozoon, and pollen.grain. At first
sight such an admission appears impos.
able, but number and size are only rela,
tive difficulties Complete Independent
organisms exist which are barely visible
under the highest powers Of the micro.
scope, and how excessively diminutiyc
must be the seeds-nay, the cells or units
of such bodies II the cell of such an
organism be conceivable, why not the
gcmmule Of slch cell (? Again, particles
ef infectious matter 40 small rs to be
waited 10y the wind and to adhere to the
'smoothest paper, will multiply so rapid
lly as to taiat within brief time the
whole body of a large animal. We
should also reflect on the admitted num-
Der and minuteness of the molecules com.
posing particle of ordinary matter. On
the whole, therefore, the difficulty, which
At first sight seems insurmountable, Of
Believing in the existence Of gemmulcs so
multitudR Gus and small that they must
needs be under Darwin's hypothesis,
may be found to have no great weight.
Ifthe principle Of pangencsis bo pro-
yisionally accepted, We must look at all
the forms OF sexual reproduction AZ
fundamentally the same, and dependent
on the mutual aggregation and multipli-
cation Of the gemunles. Buds appar-
emily include nascent cells belonging to
that stage Of development at which the
budding occurs, and these would be
ready to unite with gemmules derived
from the next succeeding cells. The
sexual elements, on the other hand, do
not include such nascent cells, neither do
they contain q sufficient number of gem
mules for independent development ex'
cept in the case ofparthenogencsis. The
development of zach being would depend