XL] EVOLUTION IN BIOLOGY. 279 



The two parts of Bonnet's hypothesis, namely, the 

 doctrine that all living things proceed from pre-exist- 

 ing germs, and that these contain, one inclosed within 

 the other, the germs of all future living things, which 

 is the hypothesis of " emboitement ;" and the doctrine 

 that every germ contains in miniature all the organs 

 of the adult, which is the hypothesis of evolution or 

 development, in the primary senses of these words, 

 must be carefully distinguished. In fact, while hold- 

 ing firmly by the former, Bonnet more or less modified 

 the latter in his later writings, and, at length, he 

 admits that a " germ " need not be an actual miniature 

 of the organism; but that it may be merely an 

 "original preform ation " capable of producing the 

 latter. 1 



But, thus defined, the germ is neither more nor 

 less than the " particula genitalis " of Aristotle, or the 

 " primordium vegetale "or " ovum " of Harvey ; and 

 the " evolution " of such a germ would not be dis- 

 tinguishable from " epigenesis." 



Supported by the great authority of Haller, the doc- 



" Ne supposons que trois revolutions. La Terre vient de sortir des 

 MAINS du CREATEUR. Des causes preparees par sa SAGESSE font 

 developper de toutes parts les Germes. Les Etres organises commencent 

 a jbuir de 1'existence. Ils etoient probablement alors bien differens de 

 ce qu'ils sont aujourd'hui. Ils 1'etoient autant que ce premier Monde 

 differoit de celui que nous habitons. Nous manquons de moyens pour 

 juger de ces dissemblances, et peut-etre que le plus habile Naturaliste 

 qui auroit ete place dans ce premier Monde y auroit entitlement 

 meconnu nos Plantes et nos Animaux." 



1 " Ce mot (germe) ne designera pas seulement un corps organise 

 re'duit en petit ; il designera encore toute espece de ^reformation originelle 

 dont un Tout organique pent resulter comme de son principe immediat." 

 " Palingenesie Philosophique," part x. chap. ii. 



