Art and Science 



was sometimes inherited. It is, however, pos- 

 sible that the mere injury introduced and 

 encouraged the growth of certain microbes, 

 which, spreading through the organism, some- 

 times reached the germ-cells, and thus trans- 

 mitted a diseased condition to the offspring." * 



I suppose a microbe which made guinea- 

 pigs eat their toes off was communicated to 

 the germ-cells of an unfortunate guinea-pig 

 which had been already microbed by it, and 

 made the offspring bite its toes off too. The 

 microbe has a good deal to answer for. 



On the case of the deterioration of horses in 

 the Falkland Islands after a few generations, 

 Professor Weismann says : 



" In such a case we have only to assume 

 that the climate which is unfavourable, and 

 the nutriment which is insufficient for horses, 

 affect not only the animal as a whole but also 

 its germ-cells. This would result in the dimi- 

 nution in size of the germ-cells, the effects 

 upon the offspring being still further intensi- 

 fied by the insufficient nourishment supplied 

 during growth. But such results would not 



1 e ' Darwinism/' p. 440. 

 299 



