84 PROTOPLASM. 



powers exhibited by the last of a series of masses of germinal 

 matter were somehow retained in relation with- the matter 

 of every one of its predecessors, and thus handed down 

 from generation to generation, than to assume that the new 

 powers were acquired in consequence of the different series 

 being successively exposed to different external conditions. 

 But this last view is really untenable, because we have 

 abundant evidence of the transmission of peculiar pro- 

 perties and powers, through a vast number of successive 

 units during a considerable period of time, and though 

 sometimes dormant for a while, they are yet at last mani- 

 fested so distinctly that no doubt could be entertained as 

 to their actual transmission from particle to particle. 



New Centres not formed by Aggregation. 



It cannot be supposed that the new centres of living 

 matter are in any way formed by the aggregation of particles 

 derived from distant parts j for, if this were so, these living 

 particles must have traversed formed material, and passed 

 to the very centre of the living germinal matter. But we 

 have ample evidence to prove that the movement of living 

 particles is in one direction only, from and not towards 

 centres. Moreover, there is reason to think that the only 

 matter passing towards centres is dissolved non-living 

 pabulum, and if living particles were suspended in this, they 

 would be filtered off by the formed material, and would never 

 reach the living matter. The arrangement is such as to 

 permit fluid only to go to the living matter, and check the 

 passage of all insoluble particles of whatever kind. While, 

 if we admitted as possible the aggregation of millions of 



