430 BOTANICAL PROOFS OF ACQUIRED CHARACTERS. 



between the characters primarily acquired by the soma^ and 

 the secondary characters which follow from changes in the 

 germ-plasm. 



If the author had appreciated this distinction he would not 

 have attempted to strengthen his opinions by following up the 

 botanical facts which exclusively belong to the second class of 

 characters, with the enumeration of certain instances selected 

 from the animal kingdom (viz. the supposed transmission of 

 mutilations), all of which belong to the first class. I will not 

 discuss these latter instances, for most of them are old friends, 

 and they are all far too uncertain and inaccurate to have any 

 claim on scientific consideration. 



I believe that I have shown that no botanical facts have been 

 hitherto brought forward which prove the transmission of 

 acquired characters (in the restricted sense), and that there 

 are not even any facts which render such transmission 

 probable. 



A. W. 



Naples, Zoological Station, 

 Jan. II, 1888. 



