HISTORY OF PARTHENOGENESIS. 289 



mals under two heads, Tnonogenetic, or sexual, and dige- 

 netic, i. e. reproducing themselves by sexual and asexual 

 methods. 



In 1855 M. Quatrefages published four articles in the 

 Revue des Deux Mondes entitled Les Metamorphoses, in 

 which he reviewed the state of the question, criticised the 

 theories, and propounded one of his own. 



In 1856 another brilliant flash of light came from Ger- 

 many. Von Siebold published a work * containing some 

 startling facts, and such as, in my opinion, will serve to dis- 

 sipate all the clouds from the question. He offered no 

 theory himself; and in the only remark wliich directly 

 touches our subject, he desires to lay " particular stress 

 ujoon the distinction between the alternation of generations 

 and Parthenogenesis." In spite of this, I must think that 

 the two are one, and that his facts convincingly prove them 

 to be so. For the present, however, we will confine our- 

 selves to the points established in his work bearing on our 

 subject. 



Having isolated female moths, he constantly watched 

 them in little vessels closed with glass lids. In due time 

 they laid eggs. There was nothing surprising in this ; the 

 virgin moth, as well as the female of every other insect — 

 indeed, of every other animal — lays eggs ; but what was his 

 astonishment, " when all the eggs of these females, of whose 

 virgin state I was most positively convinced, gave birth to 

 young caterpillars, which looked about with the greatest 



* On. true Parthenogenesis in Moths and Bees. Translated by J. W. Dalhxs. 

 1857. 



2 B 



