Abridgment in Memory and Ontogeny a2 
gradually to be entirely absorbed by the principal 
mnemonic elements of the same series and by the new 
elements which later supervene as a consequence of later 
sensations also stored up in memory. 
Let us note that this abridgment of every memory, 
interpreted as above, becomes then completely capable 
of explaining also the similar abridgment which phy- 
logeny undergoes during ontogeny. In fact, of the 
ancient mnemonic elements constituting the germinal 
substance, the most pronounced, that is those which are 
represented by the largest quantity of substance, will 
alone persist. The less pronounced ancient mnemonic 
elements, the total quantity of nourishment for all 
mnemonic elements remaining the same or varying only 
within definite limits, will have all their portion of 
nourishment taken away by the more pronounced ancient 
mnemonic elements, and by the new mnemonic elements 
whose number will continually increase with each phy- 
logenetic advancement. Not being able consequently to 
regain their substance completely in each ontogeny they 
will gradually disappear. 
If we have always supposed so far, as the first degree 
of approximation necessary to the comprehension of the 
fundamental nature of the phenomenon, that ontogeny 
reproduces phylogeny entirely, these abridgments of 
memory permit us then to penetrate still farther into 
the inner nature of this phenomenon and to recognize 
that ontogeny instead of being an entire reproduction 
of phylogeny can be only a succinct recapitulation. 
In recalling a given memory the mnemonic cells do 
not lose the “impression” as we call it which they 
preserve of that memory; on the contrary the more a 
memory is recalled the more the respective “impression” 
