306 0)1 Parthe?iogenesis of 



I trust to be the means of directing tlie attention of American 

 Naturalists, in an increased degree, to this interesting subject, and 

 induce them to co-operate with the leading physiologists ol Eu- 

 rope, in lifting the thick veil of mystery still hanging over some 

 portions of it. 



The belief in a Parthenogenis or Lucina sine concubitu is by no 

 means of recent growth, but has arrested the attention of mankind 

 since the earliest ages. In diving into the writings of the Clas- 

 sics and studying the mythology of tlie Greeks, it will be fbund 

 that, more than once, females are spoken of, who, in a state of ab- 

 solute virginity, produced offsprings endowed with all the best 

 qualities of our species. And in searching the pages of ancient 

 naturalists of a subsequent period, the subject of a Lucina sine 

 concubitu frequently meets our eye. These statements are suffi- 

 cient to show the high antiquity of the belief in a Parthenoge- 

 nesis ; but the observations upon which they were founded, are 

 not of such a nature as to exclude the possibility of a subjective 

 deception ; and, for the purposes of modern science, they have no 

 other value, than to point out where productive experiments and 

 observations might be made with advantage. 



It is different with the publications that in more recent times 

 have been forced upon our attention, and which, having been 

 made with all the caution, circumspection and accuracy demand- 

 ed by modern criticism, have in the opinion of many eminent 

 naturalists, completelyestablished the fact, that there exist occasion- 

 ally individual females of both animals and plants, which in a state 

 of virginity are able to propagate in a sexual manner their respec- 

 tive species. We have no modern observations proving the ex- 

 istence of a Lucina sine concubitu in any of the higher animals, 

 • — at least I am not aware of any, — but few are inclined to doubt 

 that Professor von Siebold's works, (the English version by Mr. 

 W. S. Dallas.) " On Parthenogenesis in Moths and Bees," have 

 set this question entirely at rest as regard Insects. It is well 

 known that Professor Eichard Owen, applied the term Par- 

 thenogenesis, some years ago, to the non-sexual reproduction ob- 

 servable in the genus Aphis, but that process being merely one 

 of gemmation, a budding process, equivalent to what we see in the 

 sprouting of a plant, it is now generally rejected, and Siebold 

 and others always understand by Parthenogenesis the Lucina 

 sine concubitu of ancient Naturalists, and, therefore, lay great 

 stress upon the distinction of true Parthenogenesis and alterna- 



