206 



THE INDUCTIONS OF BIOLOGY. 



organism ; and yet, thougli an individual according to the 

 definition, this organism has no power of reproducing its 

 kind. On the other hand, we have cases like that of the 

 perfect Aphides, where the organism is but an infinitesimal 

 part of the germ-product ; and yet has that completeness 

 required for sexual reproduction. Moreover, if we 



adopt the proposed view, we find ourselves committed to the 

 anomalous position, that among many orders of animals, there 

 are no concrete individuals at all. If the individual is consti- 

 tuted by the \7h0le germ-product, whether continuously or 

 discontinuously developed, then, not only must individuality 

 be denied to each of the imperfect Aphides, but also to 

 each of the perfect males and females ; since no one of 

 them is more than a minute fraction of the total germ- 

 product. And yet further, it might be urged with 

 some show of reason, that if the conception of individuality 

 involves the conception of completeness ; then, an organism 

 which possesses an independent power of reproducing itself, 

 being more complete than an organism in which this power 

 is dependent on the aid of another organism, is more in- 

 dividual. 



§ 74. There is, indeed, as already implied, no definition 

 of individuality that is unobjectionable. All we can do is to 

 make the best practicable compromise. 



As applied either to an animate or an inanimate object, 

 the word individual ordinarily connotes union among the 

 parts of the object, and separateness from other objects. 

 This fundamental element in the conception of individuality, 

 we cannot with propriety ignore in the biological application 

 of the word. That which we call an individual plant or animal, 

 must, therefore, be some concrete whole, and not a discrete 

 whole. If, however, we say that each concrete 



living whole is to be regarded as an individual, we are still 

 met by the question — What constitutes a concrete living 

 whole ? A young organism arising by internal or external 



