No. 518] 



REGENERATION 



99 



ways of the regeneration of the end-gut, states definitely : 

 Hinsichtlich des Verlaufs der Regeneration braucht jedoch durchaus 

 keine mit den ontogenetischen Processen iibereinstimende Bildungs- 

 weise des Enddarines stattzufinden. 



In the second place, DavydofPs criticism is unjust be- 

 cause it arises from a lack of appreciation of the sound- 

 ness of Morgan's skepticism. As a matter of fact, Mor- 

 gan and his school do not deny that there is at times a 

 very marked similarity between the methods of regenera- 

 tion and ontogeny. Morgan is willing to go even further 

 than that, and to admit a complete identity of the two 

 processes. His position may be best formulated in his 

 own apt words: 



The mistake, I think, is not in stating that the two processes are 

 sometimes similar, or even identical, but in stating the matter as though 

 the regenerative process repeats the embryonic method of development* 

 (p. 213). 



I dwell at such great length upon the question of the 

 causal relation between regenerative and ontogenetic 

 processes because, unless there is reasonable occasion 

 for disbelieving it, the theory of the repetition of phylo- 

 genetic processes in the course of regeneration must not 

 be dodged, as the next logical step. In the foregoing I 

 have been emphasizing particularly the facts opposed to 

 the theory not from any prejudiced neglect of the facts 

 apparently favorable to the theory, but simply to show 

 that the question of the connection between ontogeny 

 and regeneration is far from being firmly established. 

 To build upon this as a foundation elaborate theoretic 

 superstructures is like erecting a magnificent edifice upon 

 a foundation of quicksand. 



But if regeneration repeats the ontogenetic process, as 

 is claimed by some, what is the significance of the oc- 

 casional departures of the end result of regeneration 

 from that of normal development? The believers in the 

 theory have a ready answer. Those are obviously cases 

 of atavism, they say. Just as the connection between 



