34 LECTURE II. 



LECTURE II. 



PROFESSOR HAECKEUS SCHEME OF THE LINE OF 

 MAN'S DESCENT FROM LOWER ANIMALS. 



SUMMARY. 



Mr. Darwin's recognition of the excellence of Professor 

 Haeckel's exposition of the doctrine of Evolution, p. 36. 

 Haeckel's assumption of the truth of the doctrine of Evolution and 

 his estimate of the value of its influence in promoting the progress 

 of Philosophy and Science, p. 36. His denial of any limit to 

 natural knowledge, p. 37. Anthropogenesis treated of under 

 the two distinct heads of Ontogenesis, or the embryonic develop- 

 ment of the individual, and Phylogenesis, or lineal descent of 

 the race by evolution from the most simple organisms, p. 38. 

 Ontogenesis viewed as a short and rapid recapitulation of Phylo- 

 genesis, p. 39. The first living body alleged to have arisen as a 

 mass of protoplasm, like a flake of white of egg, by spontaneous 

 generation, p. 40. By development of a nucleus in a small mass of 

 this protoplasm (with or without a cell-wall around it), a nucleated 

 cell, such as an amoeba, was formed, p. 40. By proliferation from 

 this amoeba, similar cells were produced, and these being aggre- 

 gated together constituted a Synamcebium, p. 41. Which Syn- 

 amoebium by an alleged ' differentiation ' of its component cells was 

 evolved into a more complex organism, p. 41. Denial that any such 

 process of ' differentiation ' takes place in nature, p. 42. Such 

 pretended ' differentiation ' constitutes the false foundation on which 

 the superstructure of Evolution is in a great measure built, p. 43. 

 True ' differentiation] wherein it consists, p. 43. The Ontogenesis 

 of Protozoa a simple process of cell-development, p. 44. In the 

 case of animals generally, the young individual originates from an 

 egg, but the formation and development of the egg itself comprise 

 the different stages of cell-life, p. 44. The Blastoderma composed of 



