300 SEA-SIDE STUDIES. 



vincingly shows that the theory is purely verbal : it is, 

 moreover, in direct antagonism with the fact that the Polype 

 sometimes produces eggs -snthout the mediation of a Medusa ; 

 and if a Polype, issuing from an egg, and also producing an 

 egg from Avhiih another Polype will issue, be not regarded 

 as a " parent," it will be difficult to specify in what parentage 

 truly consists. Steenstrup's theory is almost identical, ex- 

 cept in language, with that of the old writer alluded to by 

 Quatrefages, who accounted for Bonnet's facts by a " trans- 

 mitted fecundation : " "D'apres lui, les pucerons produisent 

 toujours des ceufs aussi bien que les autres insectes, mais 

 chez eux la fecondation, au lieu d'agir sur une gdn^ration 

 seulement, etend son influence a plusicurs generations suc- 

 cessives. Elle devient par consequent inutile jusqu'au 

 moment o^ la somme d'action transmise de mere a fille est 

 totalement epuisde." 



At a first glance this may be mistaken for an anticipa- 

 tion of Owen's theory ; but a more rigorous inspection dis- 

 covers that Owen's theory difieis from it by the all-impor- 

 tant character of definiteness. Instead of throwing over 

 the question the obscure generality of a phrase, it points 

 directly to a specific fact, or condition, such as, if accepted, 

 would indicate the terminal stage of inquiry, beyond which 

 no intellect could hope to penetrate. It starts from the 

 germ-cell, from which the organism arises, and, folloAving 

 the course of this germ-cell, it holds the Ariadne thread, 

 which, through all the mazes of the lal)yrinth, conducts the 

 mind to clear issues. Let us, in as brief a space as pos- 

 sible, develop this theory. 



