85 



of tlie mutual sharing of geues iu phenomenal appearance in individuals is 

 called the theory of the mutual sharing of the gene. 



Should these theories be accepted, GOETHE'S idea in liis " Metamorphose 

 der' Pflauzeu ' would find a better interpretation than in the case at present. 

 According to these views, ah 1 vegetable organs are one and the same in their 

 real entity. That there are so many different organs, such as leaf, sepal, petal, 

 stamen and others is due to the fact that the genes contained in the organs 

 present suitable temporary phenomenal appearances, in agreement with the 

 conditions of the past, present and future, that is to say the conditions which 

 follow necessarily through the causal nexus. It is not, however, intended that 

 this assertion should be understood in the sense that all organs are the same 

 at the commencement of their development, and merely present different shapes 

 after full growth, according to the different conditions which come later on. 

 But it should be understood that foliage leaves and sepals are different even 

 in their very beginning, though they then look very much the same. The very 

 beginning of a leaf was, is and will be, so conditioned as to be a foliage leaf 

 after its development ; as the very beginning of a sepal is to be a sepal after 

 attaining its full growth. In this sense, the beginning of a foliage leaf is 

 different from that of a sepal. Yet, different as they are, they are different 

 only in conditions ; they are all the same in their real entity. As the conditions 

 are different, so the combinations of the apparent genes and the proportions 

 of apparent and latent genes differ ; so in consequence their phenomenal 

 appearances will differ. The same is true as to adult as well as to nascent 

 organs. Thus much having been said, let us consider GOETHE'S original work 

 ^section by section. 



\ 1. Ein jecler, dor das "\Vackstkum. der Pflanzen nur einigermaGen beobacktet, 

 \vird leickl bemerken, da*3 gewisse auSere Theile derselben sick manckmal verwandeln 

 nnd in die Gestall der nlickstliegenden Theile bald ganz, bald nielir oder weniger 

 iibergeken. 



$ 3 wir lernen die Gesetze der Uruwandlnng kennen, nach welcken sie 



(Natur) einen Tkeil durck den andern keryorbringt, und die versckiedensten gestalten 

 durck Modification eines einzigen Organs darstellt. 



In the above quotations 3, we come upon the expression " einziges Organ " 

 which is certainly what is called GOETHE'S Elott by his readers. The most 

 suitable way to interpret his Blcdt is to regard it as a real entity which 



