Chap. XIII. 



REVERSION. 



61 



than thirteen species have been described in a peloric condition. 70 

 On this view of the nature of peloric flowers, and bearing in 

 mind what has been said with respect to certain monstrosities 

 in the animal kingdom, we must conclude that the progenitors 

 of most plants and animals, though widely, different in struc- 

 ture, have left an impression capable of redevelopment on the 

 germs of their descendants. 



The fertilised germ of one of the higher animals, subjected as 

 it is to so vast a series of changes from the germinal cell to old 

 incessantly agitated by what Quatrefages well calls the 



asre 



tourbillon vital, — is perhaps the most wonderful object in nature. 

 It is probable that hardly a change of any kind affects 

 either parent, without some mark being left on the germ. But 

 on the doctrine of reversion, as given in this chapter, the germ 

 becomes a far more marvellous object, for, besides the visible 

 changes to which it is subjected, we must believe that it is 

 crowded with invisible characters, proper to both sexes, to both 

 the right and left side of the body, and to a long line of male 

 and female ancestors separated by hundreds or even thousands 

 of generations from the present time ; and these characters, 

 like those written on paper with invisible ink, all lie ready to 

 be evolved under certain known or unknown conditions. 



Moquin-Tandon, ' Teratologic,' p. 186. 



