2 Herr Max Weber on the Origin of Hair 
As regards hair this hypothesis is not without opponents, 
who, however, have attacked it only in so far as it deals with 
the development of the three structures. 
A second hypothesis as to the origin of hair has recently 
been advanced by Maurer *. This author finds it quite 
impossible to emphasize sufliciently the difference that exists 
between scales, feathers, and hair as regards the manner of 
their earliest development. He states, however, that a great 
agreement is found between the earliest rudiments of reptilian 
scales and feathers, since in both cases the rudiment consists 
of a papilla of the corium, above which the epidermis at first 
extends unaltered. A hair, on the other hand, arises, 
according to Maurer, as an epithelial bud, wherein the corium 
in the first instance takes no share whatever t, though it soon 
afterwards doesso. Nevertheless he admits that the epithelial 
rudiment of the hair frequently originates upon the summit of 
a previously-formed papilla of the corium. He regards, 
however, “the relation of the hair-rudiment to the corium- 
papilla as a purely topographical one.” Maurer then proceeds 
to explain why a large cutis-papilla of this kind has nothing 
to do with the hair-rudiment as such. He states that it 
never becomes the hair-papilla; the permanent hair-papilla 
is always a subsequent formation. Since Maurer then goes 
on to assert that he “ascribes great importance to the primi- 
tive cutis-papilla,” and that “it is undoubtedly homologous 
with the primitive feather-papilla and with the primitive 
* “Morphologisches Jahrbuch,’ Bd. xviii. p. 717. 
+ Maurer, however, even in his earliest stages already figures a co- 
existent first rudiment of the subsequent connective-tissue hair-follicle, 
According to this, therefore, the cutis would participate in the formation 
of the hair just as soon as the epidermis. The following consideration 
might perhaps have been worthy of mention. The high degree of 
specialization which hair has attained indicates a long previous history, 
The specialization was directed towards longitudinal growth, conse- 
quently to the production of corneous matter, and therefore to advanced 
functional capacity of the epithelial portion of the hair. That this finally 
made itself apparent in the individual development also of the hair by 
means of precocious participation of the epithelial portion as soon as the 
first rudiment of the hair was formed, while the connective-tissue portion, 
on the contrary, underwent a regressive process, appears to me to be a 
point that at least deserves to be mentioned. It would be conceivable 
that the recession in point of time also on the part of the papilla, which 
subsequently becomes the hair-papilla, did not take place until the class 
of hair-bearing animals (“‘ Haartiere”) was reached. It would not be the 
first instance of the gradual acquisition by a composite organ of an onto- 
genetic development which no longer harmonizes with its phylogenetic 
evolution. Since in considering the very important question of the 
phylogeny of hair it certainly behoyes us to be cautious, this point should 
at least be touched upon. 
