MAN AND APES, 181 



these latent specific forms should not have the 

 most complex and involved relationships one 

 to another ; similar structures independently 

 appearing in widely different instances. 



Analogy drawn from the inorganic world is 

 all in favour of such latent potentialities, and 

 the process of development of every individual 

 animal is the unmistakable manifestation of 

 actual organic evolution and emergence of real 

 from potential existence in each separate case. 



It has recently been strongly asserted by 

 Dr. H. Charlton Bastian,* that organic nature 

 does manifestly contain within it these innate 

 powers of developing new and definite forms, 

 more or less like those existing in inorganic 

 nature, as evidenced by crystallisation. 



He has given detailed descriptions *j* of the 

 most strange and startling direct transforma- 

 tions amongst the lower animals, including 

 the direct evolution of Rotifers and Nema- 

 toid worms. Moreover, the evidence of the 



* 'The Beginnings of Life,' 1872. 

 | L. c. vol ii. pp. 307-540. 



