96 APPENDIX. 



" that stage. The truth is, no one ever pretended 



that there was such an identity. It is only said, that there 

 is a resemblance in general character between the parti- 

 cular embryotic stage of being, and the mature con- 

 dition and form of the appropriate inferior animal*." 

 He then adverts to a special charge brought against 

 him, that he assumes " not only that the organic germs 

 of all creatures are alike, but that they are identical," 

 which he states was not his meaning; but simply, " that 

 the embryos of all animals are not distinguishably dif- 

 ferent from each other f; " a proposition which but few 

 physiologists will be disposed to impugn. In justifi- 

 cation of myself, and of those who, like me, have mis- 

 apprehended, (not misrepresented), this author's opin- 

 ions, I quote the following passage, which may be 

 regarded as a concise expression of his theory. 



" The idea, then, wliich I form of the progress of 

 organic life upon our earth — and the hypothesis is 

 applicable to all similar theatres of vital being — is, that 

 the simplest, and most primitive type, under a law to which 

 that of like-production is subordinate, gave birth to the 

 type next above it, that this again produced the next 

 higher, and so on to the very highest, the stages of ad- 

 vance being in all cases very small — namely from one 



* Explanations, p. 108. f Ibid, p. 109. 



