Fecundation 353 
is demonstrated by the universally known experiments 
upon the rejuvenescence of the infusoria, by which it 
appears that this rejuvenescence can be re-acquired even 
without any need of the ordinary fecundating conjuga- 
tion, simply by causing some change in the surrounding 
conditions of life, and thereby provoking a strong renewal 
of the functional activity of the animal.?5° 
Let us note parenthetically that if oscillating dis- 
charges take place between the corresponding separated 
specific accumulators or half mnemonic elements of the 
egg and spermatozoon respectively even when the egg 
and the spermatozoon are still relatively distant from 
each other, 1. e. before they could coalesce into a single 
fecundated nucleus, we can then understand how the 
space between each pair of these elements can and must 
function just as the deformed di-electric between the two 
armatures of the condenser of an electric resonator, and 
thus be constrained to produce the attraction of each 
spermatic half element to the corresponding half element 
of the egg. And this would have as a final result an 
energetic reciprocal attraction between the egg and the 
spermatozoon. 
The real cause of the sexual attraction of the two 
germs, male and female, would then reside in their capac- 
ity of vibrating in unison. Conversely the absence of all 
attraction between ovum and spermatozoon belonging to 
animal or vegetable species too different in kind would 
be due to the fact that the one germ is constituted by 
potential half elements of which too many are specifically 
25°Compare e. g. Hartog: Problems of Reproduction: Conju- 
gation, Fertilisation and Rejuvenescence. The Contemporary Re- 
view, July 1892; esp. P. 94—95, 100—I02. 
