138 An Examination of Weismannism. 



egg-cell becoming doubled primarily, one of the resulting portions 

 being reserved for the formation of germ-cells \ 



These being the main points of difference between 

 the theories of stirp and of germ-plasm to which 

 Professor Weismann has alluded, I will now proceed to 

 consider them separately, in reverse order to that in 

 which they have been here stated. 



The point of difference last mentioned need not 

 detain us long, because it seems to me one of very 

 little importance. £: Whether each primary constituent 

 is present in the germ singly or in numbers " cannot 

 greatly signify, so long as both theories agree that, 

 sooner or latter, they must be present plurally. 

 Galton supposes them to be thus present from the 

 first (i. e. in the unfertilized ovum), while Weismann 

 supposes them to be so only as a result of their self- 

 multiplication at a somewhat later stage (i. e. in 

 the segmenting ovum, and onwards throughout the 

 procreative life of the individual). Doubtless Weis- 

 mann does not suppose that they ever become so 

 numerous as Galton imagines ; but the whole question 

 is so highly speculative that I do not see how any 

 useful purpose can be served by debating it. Nor do 

 I see why Weismann should conclude that " Galton's 

 idea is only conceivable on the presupposition of the 

 occurrence of sexual reproduction." It is true that 

 Galton has discussed exclusively the case of sexual 

 reproduction ; but I cannot perceive that any of his 

 ideas are inapplicable to a-sexual. 



Touching the question whether the phenomena of 

 ontogeny had best be ascribed to a competition 

 among a vast number of " germs," or to a strictly 



1 The Germ-plasm, pp. 199, 220. 



