284 J. T. CUNNINGHAM. 



well to remember that the most sensational are not always the 

 best works of art. 



We have thus given a summary of Dohrn's results and indi- 

 cated the point of view from which he regards the problem of 

 vertebrate phylogeny. The speculations formulated in the 

 ' Ursprung der Wirbelthiere ' have been in some cases sup- 

 ported in others overthrown by his later researches, but he 

 still holds strongly to the fundamental thesis that the original 

 ancestor was a segmented animal more or less similar to an 

 Annelid, and that the organisation of Cyclostomata, Amphioxus, 

 and Tunicata can only be explained by profound degeneration. 

 Whatever the fate of his various theories may be in the future 

 of morphology, it is certain that his studies form a massive 

 contribution to the really scientific study of organogeny, and 

 that his independent attitude and stimulating suggestiveness 

 of thought are worthy of his favorite motto, " Was fruchtbar 

 ist allein ist wahr." 



