VARIATION AND HEBE1T. 5 



of unaltered germinal mat kept apart to form 



th- ;.-tive cells, one of which may become the 



ut of a child." On this point (ialton ha* writ- 

 W* of each man must include a 

 of material than wan utilized in form ink' 

 ;>ersonal stru< tm< . The existence in tome form of 

 an unused portion is proven hy his power ... of trans- 

 mitt! il eharact. } .li.l not personally 

 fore the organ nicture of each in- 

 dividual should I-.- viewed as tin- fultihi -nly one 

 nut <>f an ind.-tinit.- numl-'r "f mutually - e pOSSt- 

 hilities. Ilis>tru; theeoh- or less 

 stable development of what is no more than an iin|* 

 sample of a large \ .f dements." 3 T idea was 

 in.l-prn.l-iitly -\|.r.--r,l and more fully developed 

 naim in l- 1 .'::. 1 1 1 is now the basis of our expla- 

 natini, ,.f why like trnds to beget like. It is the theory of 

 the continuity of germinal plasm. Weismann says, M hi 

 development a part of the germ-plasm < i. - , the .- .-ntial 

 matt-rial > * >iitaine<l in the parent egg-cell is not 

 used up in the construction of the body of the oflNprinir. 

 l>ut i> reserved unchanged for the formation of the u 

 cell- of the following ^t-iierat ion. " Tims it has been 

 -ail that the parent is rather tin* tru-tee of the genn- 

 pla-m than the producer of the chihi philosopher 

 >ai<l, !s like a current passing from 

 > to germ through the medium of a developed or- 

 The essential thinir is the continuous prog- 

 ress in<lrtii:itely pursued, an invisible progress, on u 



visible organism rides during the short interval of 

 time given it to live." The reason why 1; is to 



> Gallon, F. Yafura/ Imhcritamc*. 1889, p. 18. 

 ThomiMin. ,T A , & Geddw. P.-/:ro/li.. 1911. p. 114 





