PREFACE. VU 



been taken to the use of this term,* on the ground that the 

 word fundament implies the solid basis or foundation upon 

 which a structure rests or is built, whereas an " Anlage " is 

 essentially a changing, growing structure, which, though at 

 one time the foundation, when only the foundation exists, 

 eventually gives rise to, or rather itself becomes transformed 

 into, the fully-formed organ. 



Having thus decided against the continued use of this term, 

 I found myself face to face with the responsibility of selecting 

 one of tlie numerous terms which have at one time and anothei' 

 been put forward as the English equivalent of " Anlage," at the 

 same time knowing full well that, whichever word was adopted, 

 I should find a large number of biologists against me, as nearly 

 every teacher of note has proposed at least one word wdiieh 

 he believes to be the only correct rendering of " Anlage." 



Realising, then, the impossibility of satisfying everyone, I 

 thought it advisable to pass over all the numerous terms which 

 have been recently suggested, none of which are really satis- 

 factory, and to revert to that much-abused word rudiment. 

 Most biologists will agree that the term rudiment, if it had 

 not been misused by some of our most eminent zoologists, would 

 undoubtedly be the best word by which we could render the 

 German term " Anlage." Unfortunately, following the lead of 

 Darwin and others, we have acquired the habit of applying the 

 terms rudiment and rudimentary to certain structures present 

 in the adult which, in consequence of their small size and 

 frequent loss of function, have retained a somewhat embryonic 

 stamp, thus preserving the outward appearance of a rudiment 

 but losing its essential character, viz., its inherent tendency 

 to further growth. Tliese, then, are not rudiments, but 

 arrested, reduced, vanishing, or vestigial structures, and should 

 be spoken of as vestiges. Why, because Darwin unfortunately 



* See Nature, 1896, p. 361. 



P. C. Mitchell, " Anla^en," Nat. ScL, vol. v., 1894. 



Dr. Willey {Nature, 1898, p. 390), who supports the use of the term 

 primordium, objects to the word rudiment on the ground that tlie latter has 

 been regarded as the tirst visilile "Anlage" of an organ. But who is to decide 

 when a growing structure is first visible to the eye ? 



Professor Wilder [Science, 1898, p. 793), in a reply to Willey, advocates the 

 use of the term protuii; but to define this term he has to make use of the word 

 rudiment. Thus he states that proton was em[)loyed "to design(ite the primitive, 

 undiH'erentiatcd mass or rudunent of a ])ai't." 



