4GO ANIMAL NATURE OF DIATOME.E. 



for bringing hither the affixed Synedra, in a physiological 

 point of view, only that this union would be one of 

 analogy rather than affinity, inasmuch as we find corres- 

 ponding conditions in almost all the families. It is 

 still true, as Kiitzing observes, that here the included 

 are the prevalent forms, occurring with the free and 

 naked forms, whilst the linear association is only re- 

 presented by one genus Diadesmis, and the stipitate 

 forms and cateniform associations are entirely absent. 

 But, with respect to the morphological signification of 

 this predominant inclusion, I am far from agreeing 

 with Agardh and Kiitzing in regarding it as indicating 

 a higher organisation. In the theory of Agardh, where 

 every inferior being represents an elementary organ of 

 superior beings, the mere aggregation of many individuals, 

 which, taken together, form one collective individual, is 

 sufficient to mark a step towards organic superiority or 

 perfection. But we have too many examples of similar 

 aggregations even in the lowest members of both organic 

 kingdoms to satisfy ourselves with this character of 

 complication. It is not the mere aggregation of organs, 

 but rather their mutual concurrence in the formation 

 of new organic assemblages (congegni) that establishes 

 the superiority in plants, as well as in animals. For 

 this reason the Annelidae are the lowest among the Arti- 

 culata, even whilst the number of joints, all equal to 

 one another, of which they are constituted, is indetermi- 

 nate. For this reason I believe that the opinion is well 

 founded which regards Synpetalous flowers as superior 

 in organic complication to the Dialypetalous, as the flower 

 in general is the most complicated apparatus of the plant, 

 like the head of an animal. And without wandering from 

 the question into extraneous digression, I shall content 

 myself with recalling to memory what I have intimated 

 before in relation to the involving substance, to sustain 

 the opinion that the included forms are to be regarded 

 as inferior to all the others; and the affixed, stipitate, 

 and concatenated, as intermediate between these and 



