66 Hypothetical Bearers of Hereditary Characters 



small groups of characteristics, or of certain morphologi- 

 cal units, are probably regarded as such. This, however, 

 lies in the incompleteness of our knowledge, which, in 

 certain cases, does not, even now, allow us to carry 

 through the principle, even though it is quite clear to our 

 author. Every character which can vary independently^ 

 from others, must, according to him, be dependent on a 

 special material bearer. 36 



In what manner these hypothetical bearers are com- 

 bined in the cells, Darwin has not explained. He only 

 emphasizes that each of them can multiply independently 

 from the others, af though, as the phenomena of variabil- 

 ity teach us, this multiplication frequently takes place sim- 

 ultaneously in small groups of bearers. 



In the Introduction I have mentioned the reasons 

 which induce me to reject the name "gemmule." It is, 

 in everybody's mind, too closely connected with the trans- 

 mission hypothesis. I may be allowed to christen the 

 hypothetical bearers of the individual hereditary predis- 

 positions by a new name, and call them pangens. 37 



//. Critical Considerations 



Among the critics of Darwin, Hanstein deserves to 

 be named first, because no other has given as clear and 

 correct an appreciation of pangenesis as he, nor explained 

 in such a distinct manner the conclusions to which it 

 leads. Unfortunately, owing to his particular turn of 

 mind, Hanstein 38 had to discard these conclusions, and 

 with them the whole theory. 



Loc. cit. 2nd Ed. 2: 378. 1875. 

 37 Cf. Introduction, p. 7. 



38 Hanstein, J. Beitrage zur allgemeinen Morphologic der Pflan- 

 zen. Bot. Abhandl 4: 1882. 



