108 EVOLUTION AND MAN S PLACE IN NATURE 



the conditions of embryonic life. On the contrary, it 

 is held to be beyond dispute that the analogies of 

 animal life are maintained throughout the embryonic 

 development of the child. 



This being granted, the question of inheritance in 

 the case of man, is raised into a conspicuous position. 

 The evidence for inclusion of all that belongs to bodily 

 life, seems to carry some testimony for exclusion of 

 the wide range of mental powers. This testimony can 

 be put concisely, and can be estimated with great 

 advantage, by reference to recent advances in em 

 bryology. All the advantages of visibility are gained 

 by turning to the plates in Balfour s Comparative 

 Embryology, pp. 265-269; in Darwin s Descent of 

 Man, p. 10 ; and in Komanes s Darwin and After 

 Darwin, p. 153. The resemblance between the human 

 embryo, and the embryos of animal species, is apt to 

 appear closer than it is. But allowing to the utmost 

 for this, how small can be held to be the severance, 

 physically and physiologically ! When we place over 

 against this, the vastness of contrast presented by the 

 rational powers of man, this closeness of resemblance 

 belonging to embryonic development tells against 

 the hypothesis that the nucleus of the human germ- 

 cell provides for the rational life as well as &quot;for the 

 physical. When the difference between man and 

 animal has to be accounted for, it Avill be difficult to 

 maintain the argument for reference of this differ 

 ence to an embryo in structure so like to the em 

 bryo of animal species. That there remains great 

 perplexity as to the inheritance of mental qualities, 

 is a fact which does not lessen the force of the present 

 contention. For what is now required is interpretation 



