The Vegetable Individual in its relation to Species. 79 
shoots of the tree their true significance,—now that we have com- 
pared them with alternation of generation in animals at length 
proves to be the most conclusive demonstration of the correctness 
of our first conception. The conception of these so heterogeneous 
morphological and physiological endowment and development of 
shoots ? Wwe not meet with a similar reciprocal completion, a 
similar division of labor among the individuals of the family, o 
the state and of nations, and cannot even the human individual 
become likewise a mere organ? Do we not see the development 
of the human race itself bound up with a succession, in which 
the later generations continue the edifice their predecessors be- 
gan, like branches depending upon the earlier stocks and nour- 
ished by them ;—in which generation is added to generation, 
and eycles to cycles; so that thus by the ever-renewed labor of 
the individual the problem of human life may be ceaselessly as- 
Pired to, and at last reach its final accomplishment ?* 
* The i inted when I was fortunately enabled to 
teitheidbo Beinutet ue tatinobe te Pibeptacasag Dérpet 1852,) upon a subject 
oeay allied to the one here discussed. His work is full of new views of the 
nD 
he es, wit eaves, a ? 1 
out of each other, or intimately connected by continuable bud-formation, 
Wwever, it is implied in the idea of an individual _that it shall somehow be 
, and distinguishable from, (notwithstanding it is connected wit ae 
to me that even from this point of view Reichert’s idea can by no means 
I will not deny that there are still other considerations 
di 
Ts 
in the lower it loses more and more its reality, if I may so say. I must reserve 
ther remarks on this subject until I treat of the individuality of the lower plants. 
7 is view of Reichert’s, &c, which our au- 
this ea but think, after all, that this view of Rei ; mnie 
SO} Wo extreme views, if forced 
