CHAPTEE X. 



PHASES OF THE EMBRYO AND FRAG- 

 MENTARY ORGANS. 



LET us now test our theory by its explana- 

 tion of, perhaps, the most mysterious and 

 at the same time most significant pheno- 

 mena in evolution the similarity of an 

 embryo to that of an antecessor more or 

 less remote, and the presence in many 

 races of what we call fragmentary (not 

 rudimentary) organs. 



The embryo of every mammal presents in 

 its growth phases similar to what may be 

 seen in that of its antecessor, and there 

 may, in some cases, be observed the trans- 

 formation of certain partially formed organs 

 of the antecessor into others, different in 

 appearance, but performing similar func- 

 tions, in the successor. 



Again, in the bodies of many mammals 

 are found fragments of organs once perfect 

 in the antecessor, but now apparently super- 

 fluous to their present owner. 



