IV PREFACE. 



which had been previously overlooked, have been brought to 

 light, very different claims are made upon those observations, 

 by which it is to be decided, whether an egg which has arrived 

 at development was or was not fecundated. 



For this reason I was not to be blamed if I made my first ap- 

 pearance as a sceptic, and submitted this subject to an exami- 

 nation corresponding with the present fundamental laws of 

 Physiology. The results of this examination, contrary to ex- 

 pectation, have furnished the proof: 1. that a Lucina sine con- 

 cubitu does exist; and 2. that this does not merely start up here 

 and there accidentally, as was formerly supposed, but that it 

 occupies its perfectly definite position in nature. It is true that 

 it still remains concealed from us, according to what laws and 

 under what motives this remarkable mode of reproduction has 

 obtained the place assigned to it in the history of reproduction. 



In these investigations, to which I have devoted the careful 

 study of many years, I was very readily and disinterestedly 

 assisted by various naturalists, who, partly by providing me with 

 the materials necessary for such investigations and observations, 

 but partly also by communicating their own multifarious expe- 

 rience upon the department in question, put me in a position to 

 obtain as wide a glance as possible over this still imperfectly 

 explored field. I therefore regard it as my duty to express my 

 public thanks here to Baron von Berlepsch of Seebach, MM. 

 Bremi of Zurich, Dzierzon of Carlsmarkt, Professor F. de 

 Filippi of Turin, Dr. Herrich-Schaffer of Ratisbon, Senator von 

 Heyden of Frankfort a. M., M. Kollar, Director of the Imperial 

 Cabinet at Vienna, MM. Radlkofer of Munich, Reutti of Frei- 

 burg, Dr. Rosenhauer of Erlangen, A. Schmid of Eichstadt, 

 Steiner of Breslau, and Professor Zeller of Glogau, for the 

 assistance which they rendered me in my investigations. 



C. T. E. VON SlEBOLD. 



Munich, 25th March 1856. 



