How New Elements Are Deposited 103 



ited in the nuclear substance of the central zone. The 

 permanent change of the functional stimulus will thus 

 have as its result, 'in so far as the species is concerned, 

 only the simple addition of a new specific potential ele- 

 ment to the germ substance. 



We must therefore now study in what way this new 

 element behaves during the ontogenesis of the succeeding 

 organism. But this investigation will form the object of 

 one of the next chapters. 



After we have thus brought to a conclusion this short 

 review of the most important processes, which according 

 to our view, if they do not exactly prove the centroepi- 

 genetic hypothesis, yet make it most probable, we now pass 

 to the following chapter, which will afford as stated still 

 another proof, even though a quite indirect one, for this 

 hypothesis. For in showing that while a whole series of 

 facts compels us to reject simple epigenesis, and a whole 

 series of other phenomena compels us to reject pre forma- 

 tion, it will make it seem very probable that a hypothesis 

 which is able to bring both series of phenomena into 

 accord must come close to the truth. 



