Biologisches 



Unter Mitwirkung von 

 Dr. K. Goebel und Dr. R. Hertwig 



Professor der Botanik Professor der Zoologie 



in München, 



herausgegeben von 



Dr, J. Rosentlial 



Prof. der Physiologie in Erlangen. 



Vierundzwanzig Nummern bilden einen Band. Preis des Bandes 20 Mark. 

 Zu beziehen durch alle Buchhandlungen und Postanstalten. 



Die Herren 3Iitarbeiter werden ersucht, aUe Beiträge aus dem Gesamtgebiete der Botanik 

 an Herrn Prof. Dr. Goebel, München, Luisenstr. 27, Beiträge aus dem Gebiete der Zoologie, 

 vg"l. Anatomie und Entwickelungsgeschichtc an Herrn Prof. Dr. R. Hertwig, München, 

 alte Akademie, alle übrigen an Herrn Prof. Dr. Rosenthal, Erlangen, Physiolog. Institut, 



einsenden zu wollen. 



Bd. XXYIII. 15. September 1908. M 18. 



Inhalt: Child, Dx-iescli's liarmonic equipotential systems in form-regulation. ^~ Werner, Nochmals 

 Mimikry und Schutzfärbung (Scbluss). — Thilo, Die Augen der Schollen. 



Driesch's harmonic equipotential systems in 



form-regulation. 



C. M. Child. 



The importance of „harmonic equipotential systems" in Driesch's 

 autonomistic liypothesis is Ivnown to all who are familiar with his, 

 later work. One of his „Beweise der Autonomie der Lebens- 

 vorgänge" is based upon the supposed method of regulation in such 

 systems. 



My own experimental work has, up to the present, suggested 

 conclusions very different from those of Driesch and I have called 

 attention from time to time to facts which seemed scarcely in 

 accord with his views. Driesch's replies to some of my criticisms 

 are polemical rather than critical; in other cases, as I have pointed 

 out (Child, 1907 e), his statements of my experimental results and 

 conclusions are incorrect, in consequence of misapprehension, and 

 in some instances he has cast doubt upon the correctness of my 

 observations, or has ignored them. His polemics require no further 

 consideration, and as regards many other points, reference to the 

 earlier discussions (Driesch, 1905b, 1908: Child, 1907e) is suffi- 

 cient for the present. 



It seems desirable, however, in the interests of both theoretical 

 biology and the experimental method, to examine in the light of 

 the available facts Driesch's conception of the harmonic equi- 

 XXVIII. 37 



