120 REVERSION, NOT A LAW, SUI GENERIS. 



required. The power, however, ever potentially exists 

 in these higher animals ; and (with but an abatement, 

 in degree), actually exists, in the power of repair of 

 wounds, of reintegration of tissue, and also manifests 

 itself through Reversion. Darwin quotes quite a 

 number of authors who, to explain variability, have 

 formulated a law, sui generis, which absolutely requires 

 offspring to differ, in some degree, from their parents. 

 This is absurd. Facts are noticed; no explanation 

 can be furnished to explain them; and then some 

 genius always steps forward, and complacently declares 

 that it is a "law of nature" that the phenomena should 

 so be, or so act; and fancies, that he has thereby 

 added immensely to the^body of scientific knowledge. 

 No such "law" is formulated here. The explanation 

 requires no such hypothetical, and barren device, 

 fashioned for the nonce. The offspring, when they 

 differ, in some positive character, from their parents, 

 differ, because their reparative power, or capacity to re- 

 trieve characters, which were lost by some ancient 

 progenitor, is, in the said character, manifested 

 more strongly, than it was, in their parents. Off- 

 spring, when they differ, in some negative character, 

 from their parents, differ, because they, in that charac- 

 ter, depart further from the original and perfect type 

 than their parents have done. Their coordinative 

 power has been more weakened than has that of their 

 parents; or, than has that which their parents in- 

 herited. 



That there is but one, normal mould, for the indi- 

 viduals of any species; and, that the coordination of 



