Weismanns theory of Heredity (1891). 85 



transmission of acquired (" somatogenetic ") characters 

 among the higher plants — and even among the higher 

 animals — as there is of the occurrence of this phe- 

 nomenon in the case of the Alga just mentioned. But 

 in order to do this evidence justice, I shall have to 

 take a new point of departure and consider as a 

 separate question the trans missibility of acquired char- 

 acters. Meanwhile, and as far as Weismann's theory 

 of heredity is concerned, it is enough to have shown, — 

 if I have been successful in doing so, — that not only 

 is there no evidence to sustain his fundamental postu- 

 late touching the material of heredity having always 

 occupied a separate " sphere " of its own " since the 

 first origin of life"; but that there is good evidence 

 to prove the contrary. For whether or not the re- 

 ciprocal action of "somato-plasm" and u germ-plasm" 

 can ever proceed to the extent of causing acquired 

 characters to be inherited (so as to produce " repre- 

 sentative congenital changes "), all that is distinctive 

 in this theory must be regarded as barren speculation, 

 unless it can be shown that the foregoing facts have 

 failed to prove such a reciprocal action as ever 

 occurring in any lower degree (so as to produce 

 "specialized congenital changes"). 



