420 M. W. Veltmann on the Descendence- Theory 



in the finiteness of the human reason, which, from its incom- 

 petence to grasp the infinite multiplicity of nature, finds itself 

 comj^elled to refer this back as much as possible to imities. 

 But in this case it cannot arrive at absolute unity, as multi- 

 plicity is not included in unity. Such endeavours stand in 

 contradiction to the causal principle, upon which, however, the 

 Darwinists (as, e.^., Hackel, in his ' Generelle Morphologic ') 

 lay so much stress. A homogeneous mass of vapour which 

 at a definite moment is so arranged about its axis of rotation 

 as to represent a body of rotation the diametral sections of 

 which agree perfectly with each other with regard to the dif- 

 fusion of matter in them, will always retain this property ; 

 the unity remains unity. But if we ascribe to the various 

 diametral sections from the commencement any de^nite dif- 

 ference, there is no reason whatever why we should not regard 

 any other difference that we please, and therefore the condi- 

 tion of the planetary system such or such a number of years 

 ago, as aboriginal. 



This applies just in the same way to that particle of primor- 

 dial slime which, according to Hackel, formed the commence- 

 ment of organic nature. Hackel ascribes to his "ilfo/?e?'a" a 

 perfect homogeneity without any internal differentiation. All 

 movements that occur in such a body from a given period are 

 then necessarily functions of its form and of the arrangement 

 of all other matter at that moment. The perfectly irregular 

 manner in which the Monere extends its pseudopodia would 

 agree with this, as the arrangement of external matter is like- 

 wise perfectly irregular. But now let us imagine that such a 

 particle of plasma acquires a calcareous or siliceous shell. The 

 form of this can only be quite irregular ; for, like the growing 

 forth of the pseudopodia, it is a consequence of causes acting 

 quite irregularly. Observation teaches us, however, that the 

 solid shells of the Polythalamia have in part a perfectly definite 

 form. This can be no function of the external world, as the 

 totality of matter certainly stands in no definite relation to the 

 form and arrangement of the spiral shells of these little ani- 

 mals, which, like those of many Cephalopoda, are divided 

 into chambers. We must therefore necessarily assume that 

 the apparently homogeneous and formless mass of plasma 

 which produces the shell stands in a definite relation to the 

 latter, or that a foreign force, not attached to the atoms of the 

 plasma, produces the shell. Hackel touches upon this point 

 in his 'Generelle Morphologic' (Bd. i. p. 190), and is of 

 opinion that the cause of this phenomenon must be sought in 

 the special combination of the atoms into molecules. In those 

 Protozoa whose shell has a geometrically regular form this 



