Mode of Inheritance of Adaptive Gliaracters. 73 



dominant, in accordance with reaction to the environment, 

 may suppress the other parental characteristics. Such 

 emanations, acquired by protective habit, though mingling 

 together in the fluids of the body, may keep their specific 

 character and react upon the germ cells. There would 

 have to be a peculiar emanation for each correlated property 

 coupled by amphimixis. During life each individual that 

 reacted to the surroundings would, in each characteristic, 

 become more like one parent, or more unlike both, or would 

 in fact have its individuality more stamped upon it. This 

 individuality would gradually stamp itself upon the germ 

 cells, which might therefore vary in hereditary qualities at 

 different periods in the life of the individual. Heredity 

 would follow slowly upon change in the individual under 

 changed conditions of existence. Should the properties 

 derived from the two parents be not active in metabolism 

 in relation to the adaptation of the body to its surroundings ; 

 or, in other words, should these properties exist as a part of 

 heredity, and having no present relation to adaptation, no 

 emanation would take place tending to select these properties, 

 and separation of the qualities would take place, according 

 to Mendel's law, in the formation of the gametes. This 

 indirect adjustment of the germ cells to the successful 

 properties of the body in adaptation, would take place in 

 that part of the life cycle which is chiefly reacted upon 

 in adaptation to the surroundings. This would be more 

 noticeable in the sporophytic generation of the higher 

 plants and in the gamete-bearing generation of the higher 

 animals, physiological election taking place during that 

 period. The effect of this would be that the gametic 

 halves, instead of remaining in passive relation awaiting a 

 possible separation by reduction, would be stirred to 

 nearer union by the chemical stimuli, and the effect of 

 reduction would be a mere halving of a new compound 

 consisting of the successful properties in relation to adapta- 

 tion. 



Since writing the above, my attention has been drawn by 

 a review in Nature, for January 1905, to Dr H. M. Vernon's 

 book on Variation in Animals and Plants, from which I 



VOL. XVI. I 



