152 GEO. S. HUNTINGTON 
The fallacy of these arguments is, however, demonstrated 
absolutely as soon as the inquiry is transferred to more conclusive 
mammalian forms than those selected by Narath. If, in place 
of the prevalent mammalian tree, with close approximation of 
the right eparterial and first ventral hyparterial buds, we examine 
the same bronchial districts in embryos of a type in which the 
right eparterial component is a derivative from the trachea, all 
possible doubts as to the correct genetic interpretation of the 
facts disappear at once. Here the eparterial and the first ventral 
hyparterial bronchi are separate and distinct anlages from the 
very first appearance of the epithelial swellings foreshadowing 
their development, the former budding from the right side of 
the trachea, the latter from the right stembronchus. 
There can never be, at any stage, any question whatsoever of 
a ‘splitting off’ of the eparterial element from the first ventral 
anlage, or of its ‘wandering’ craniad onto the trachea. The 
facts render such a supposition nothing less than absurd and speak 
clearly for the correct interpretation. Narath himself recognizes 
the deplorable weakness of his position in face of the actual 
embryological findings. He devotes in his work of 380 pages 
only 15 lines to this aspect of the subject. He says (p. 333): 
“Hinige Schwierigkeiten verursacht die Erklirung des Entstehens 
der trachealen Bronchien. Die Entwicklungsgeschichte lehrt, 
dass beim Schaf die Knospenvorwélbung sehr friihzeitig an des 
rechten Seite der Trachea selber entsteht. Man konnte bis jetzt? 
ein Uebergehen der Knospe vom Lungensiickchen auf die Tra- 
chea nicht constatiren.”” This statement is absolutely true, but 
the author might with equal assurance have added that such a 
phenomenon never will be observed. He goes on to say: ‘Es 
verliert dieser eigenthiimliche Entwicklungsgang jedoch seine 
Sonderstellung, wenn man daran festhilt, dass Trachea und 
Lunge einheitliche Bildungen sind, die urspriinglich ohne Gren- 
zen in einander iibergehen.’’ Narath, perhaps ‘unconsciously, 
expresses here a far reaching truth, but evidently without grasp- 
ing its real significance for the interpretation of bronchial evolu- 
tion in the mammalia, for he proceeds immediately to qualify 
2 Italics mine. 
