396 THE CAUSES OF THE XI 
commencement were not obtained by a conjunc- 
tion of the two sexual elements. 
That character which is common to these two 
distinct processes is this, that, whether we con- 
sider the reproduction, or perpetuation, or modifica- 
tion of organic beings as they take place non-sexu: 
ally, or as they may take place sexually—in either 
case, I say, the offspring has a constant tendency 
to assume, speaking generally, the character of 
the parent. As I said just now, if you takea slip 
of a plant, and tend it with care, it will eventually 
grow up and develop into a plant like that from 
which it had sprung; and this tendency is sc: 
strong that, as gardeners know, this mode of 
multiplying by means of cuttings is the only secure 
mode of propagating very many varieties of plants : 
the peculiarity of the primitive stock seems to be: 
better preserved if you propagate it by means of a 
slip than if you resort to the sexual mode. 7 
Again, in experiments upon the lower animals: 
such as the polype, to which I have referred, it is 
most extraordinary that, although cut up intc 
various pieces, each particular piece will grow uf 
into the form of the primitive stock; the head, 
separated, will reproduce the body and the tail 
and if you cut off the tail, you will find that that 
will reproduce the body and all the rest of the 
members, without in any way deviating from the 
plan of the organism from which these portions 
have been detached. And so far does this go, that 
