ANIMAL LIFE GENERATION. 



337 



minuteness as well as the simplicity of the 

 act make it the more impressive, as it seems 

 to interlink and unify in a lightning flash of 

 thought the extremes of the Universe. 



The foregoing may be taken as an instance 

 of single Generation in its simplest stage. 

 It is mostly called asexual, as sex is not yet 

 involved, or monogenetic (R. Hertwig calls it 

 monogony as distinct from sexual amphig- 

 ony ) . The chief fact is, Generation now takes 

 place through a single organism, which here- 

 in has its strong resemblance to the Plant- 

 world, and hints their primal unity, ere Ani- 

 mal and Plant had yet bifurcated. Again we 

 should note that the new animalcule has in- 

 herited an undying portion in its framework, 

 though it as distinct individual should live 

 only a few moments ; by mere fission it propa- 

 gates itself, and this generative act is an im- 

 mortal spark of original creation. The norm 

 or type of Animal-life endures in the deed of 

 Generation, though its manifestation in the 

 body is very finite and transitory. The crea- 

 tive energy is what immortalizes : Forms van- 

 ish in Time, but the ultimate Form-maker 

 not only persists through Time, but re-moulds 

 Time itself after his own pattern. So we have 

 to conceive the lowest infusorian, a mere dot 

 or blob of protoplasmic life-stuff, but still self- 

 generative, as participating in the one fun- 

 damental energy of creation. 



