ORGANIC DEVELOPEMENT. 99 



in action influencing the amount of vital force produced by the indi- 

 vidual and its concentrating energies, which cannot be estimated, 

 yet there is reason to conclude, that, for the production of a single 

 germ, there is required a determinate amount of force, characteristic 

 of each species, which is equivalent to that which the animal can 

 bring to bear upon 1 a single germinant cellule. This amount being 

 fixed, may be one element at the basis of species, of specific characters 

 and specific distinctions. It aids in producing the elaborated cel- 

 lule or cellules, which, with the envelopes (constituting thus an ovum 

 or ovule), give origin to the young individual. It is possible that 

 some mode of designating this force may yet be ascertained. 



97. In view of these considerations, we are led to conclude that the 

 law of developement laid down, determines not only the intervals 

 between the polyps, branchlets, and branches of zoophytes, or the 

 leaves and ramifications of trees, but presides over the whole animal 

 and vegetable economy, limiting the number of reproductive centres, 

 and the extent of their sphere of influence, equally in the formation 

 of ordinary cellules, or the production of germs or individual animals. 



It appears farther that a cellule the germ of a species has cer- 

 tain powers distinct from, though perhaps connected with, their 

 powers of secretion ; and these are different for different species. 

 They are 1. A specific budding force, which fixes the size and fre- 

 quency of buds, each cellule enlarging, till this force has reached its 

 maximum, and then budding from the excess afterwards accumu- 

 lating. 2. A specific number of budding points, which determines the 

 number and relative position of the cellules that may bud from a pre- 

 ceding cellule. 3. A specific budding angle, which fixes the angular 

 divergence that a budding cellule may make with a preceding. These 

 powers are wholly independent of any thing like catalysis, or any 

 known chemical forces, and there is no reason to believe that any but 

 creative energy can change them. 



98. From the facts brought forward, it is obvious that although 

 zoophytes are so much like plants in their forms and flowers that we 

 might almost fancy them to have been modelled after the trees and 

 shrubbery of the land ; although as simple in their system of aeration, 

 and similar in the position of their reproductive organs, and in the 

 character of the budding process ; yet the two classes of objects have 

 nothing essential in common, except in those points, which depend 

 upon the general principles of organic life, and in which all animals 

 are equally allied to plants. The nature of their tissues and their 



UiriVEESITT 



