AND THE LOWER ANIMALS. 271 



Alg83 are propagated by spontaneous division, and the 

 Infusoria are in no way behind them in this respect. 

 Trembley propagated the Hydra by artificial cuttings, 

 perhaps more extensively than any gardener ever 

 propagated a plant by the same means. Finally, 

 parthenogenesis shows itself in the vegetable king- 

 dom under conditions exactly like those we met with 

 among animals, a fact which has been dwelt on, with 

 much reason, by both Lubbock and Dareste. 



Spallanzani, whose name it is impossible to omit, 

 when speaking of physiology, pointed out this fact as 

 early as the last century. He found fertile seeds 

 in the female organs of hemp, which had been care- 

 fully preserved from all external influences. But this 

 result was too much in opposition to accepted views 

 to be admitted then, and, on all sides, efforts were 

 made to prove that the skilful experimenter laboured 

 under a delusion. However, in 1820, M. H. Lecoq 

 reproduced and extended Spallanzanr's experiments, 

 and arrived at the same conclusions.* Finally, M. 

 Naudin, assistant naturalist in The Museum, investi- 

 gated the matter, and his experiments, made under 

 Decaisne's superintendence, established the fact in- 

 controvertibly. It is now unquestionable that certain 

 plants can produce fertile seeds, although the flower 

 has not been submitted to the action of pollen. 



Indeed, a circumstance which occurred at this very 

 period, one may say, in all Europe, is the best proof 

 that can be adduced of the reality of vegetal parthe- 

 nogenesis. In 1829, Dr. Cunningham brought from 



* M. Henri Lecoq, Professor in the faculty of sciences at Cler- 

 mont, is now a corresponding member of the Institut. 



