426 STERILITY OP HYBRIDS. 



The hybrid, produced by the union of the two closely 

 allied species, — though capable of coordinating within 

 itself, the coalesced forces of the characters of the two 

 species, — is incapable of reflecting the result of that co- 

 ordination, to that point, or those points, where the 

 process of exudation of tissue, is possible. If the 

 forces of the whole organism are converged, as in a 

 hybrid, to any point, and the tissue, there, be modified 

 into a miniature likeness of the whole, such tissue is 

 incompetent, by reason of the nature of the mechan- 

 ism, to become exuded, i. e., to sever the correlation in 

 which it stands with the rest of the structure; and 

 therefore cannot serve as a reproductive element. The 

 hybrid, then partakes of the character of a crystal. It 

 has all of its parts correlated ; each of such parts, if 

 exuded or detached, and if the environment were 

 propitious, would be capable of reintegrating the 

 whole ; but the crystal has not the power of detach- 

 ing a portion of itself, for the purpose of such rein- 

 tegration. Each portion of a crystal is capable of 

 reintegrating the whole. But, the crystal is not capa- 

 ble of exuding, or of detaching, a part of itself, for 

 such a purpose. For a crystal to accomplish such 

 reintegration, a part must be detached by force ap- 

 plied ab extra. Were it capable, by itself, of this de- 

 tachment, it would be, in all essentials, like an organ- 

 ism. Another characteristic of an organism (possessed 

 by a crystal, but in small degree if at all), is that sus- 

 ceptibility to the influence of its environment, which 

 entails that ebb and flux of the coordinating force, which 

 is displayed in the waste and repair of its tissue. This 



