244 BIOLOGICAL LECTURES. 



assured." His theory and the "march" of his ideas maybe 

 understood, so he tells us (Preface, p. xv), by consulting Chap. 

 XII of Part I, and Chaps. I, II, VII, VIII, of Part II. For 

 his doctrine of germs he refers (p. 29) to Chap. I of Part II ; 

 to Chap. VIII of Part VII of the Contemplation, and Chaps. I 

 and II of Part IX of the same work ; and to Part X of the 

 Palingtntsie. 



As a further aid to the understanding of the Corps Organi- 

 sts, Bonnet has given a resume of the whole work, which first 

 appeared as an introduction to the Contemplation (1764), but 

 which, in the collected edition of his works, is prefixed to the 

 Palingtnesie, under the title of Le Tableau des Considera- 

 tions. Without these various guides, which Bonnet's ever- 

 mindful regard for the reader has supplied, it would not be 

 easy to get the historical perspective of this single work. 



Bonnet's views are presented in a more popular form in the 

 Contemplation, which was composed long before the Corps 

 Organises was begun, although not published until 1 764. The 

 revision of this work, consisting in the addition of many new 

 chapters and extensive footnotes, occupied over two years, 

 and resulted in the edition of 1781. In Parts VII and IX 

 (vid. Pref., p. xii) we find views presented which belong to the 

 same early period as the first eight chapters of the Corps Organi- 

 sts, corrected and supplemented by the author's later reflec- 

 tions. The theory as developed here is a good introduction to 

 the reading of the Corps Organists. 



The Palingentsie followed in 1769, completing Bonnet's sys- 

 tem of speculation, and forming a sort of general supplement 

 to the Essai Analitique, the Corps Organises, and the Contem- 

 plation. The revised edition of this work appeared in 1783. 

 Among the later writings dealing with germs are the " Memoire 

 sur les Germes (1773), and the second Mtmoire sur la Repro- 

 duction des Membres de la Salamandre aquatique (1778), 

 published originally in Rozier's Journal, and reproduced in 

 Vol. V of the complete works. The views contained in these 

 memoirs are given at length in Part X of the Palingenesie, 

 which stands as the chief authority for Bonnet's final convic- 

 tions on evolution. 



