AND THE LOWER ANIMALS. 165 



Among the biphorge, then, we have the same state 

 of things as if a butterfly's egg gave birth to a cater- 

 pillar, from which sprung a string 1 of butterflies 

 soldered to each other, and flying about without being- 

 able to separate. 



We may here repeat, that Peysonnel, Trembley, 

 Bonnet, and Chamisso were ignorant of the entire 

 importance of their discoveries. Their observations 

 were made on animals too far removed from each 

 other to admit of even a suspicion as to their mutual 

 relations. Besides, they were too isolated, and were 

 not sufficiently numerous for comparison, so that it 

 became impossible to distinguish the essential phe- 

 nomenon from others which, although more apparent, 

 were not the less accessory. 



The problem could alone be solved by modern 

 science, and now the reader is in a position to per- 

 ceive that these various forms of reproduction, although 

 apparently so very dissimilar, have yet very much in 

 common. As we stated before, we always find that a 

 single germ enclosed in a solitary ovum may give rise 

 to several individuals, even to several generations. It 

 is only of late years that the discoveries were made 

 which established the generality of this law. They 

 embrace the various groups of the lower animals, and 

 mark a new epoch in the history of the subject which 

 should be separately considered. 



