326 
PHYSIOLOGY OF BREEDING. 
laws of nature, that she refuses to perpetuate them under any 
circumstances. 
Having thus ventured to doubt the possibility, physiologi- 
cally considered, of a definite and decided control of each 
parent over particular portions of the progeny, it is perhaps 
incumbent upon me to propound some theory of the repro- 
ductive process, or else adduce one from some recognised 
authority on the subject that shall harmonise with the prin- 
ciples for which I contend, of the united and common action 
and influence of both parents. I am almost ashamed to 
admit that I am not sufficiently acquainted with this abstruse 
science to speak with confidence upon it, and as I do 
not happen to have any work on the details of the subject 
by me, I must be content to hazard a conjecture. I will again 
refer to Mr. Orton for the fact. He says, when speaking 
of the female ova in their normal state : “ Of whatever 
form, character, or number they may be, they are uni- 
formly composed of three essential parts — a yolk, a ger- 
minal vesicle, and a germinal dot.” It is not distinctly 
stated that this yolk surrounds and encloses the vesicle, 
and the vesicle the dot ; but it seems this is a fair infer- 
ence — in fact, the only likely arrangement. Mr. Orton then 
proceeds to say, that “ modern physiologists are pretty well 
agreed that the spermatozoa of the male attach themselves 
to the vesicle of the ovum, and that upon this vitality com- 
mences, and the vesicle swells and enlarges longitudinally and 
laterally, and gradually invests the yolk.” But it will be at 
once apparent that this theory entirely ignores the exist- 
ence of the germinal dot before alluded to, or at least does 
not assign any function whatever to it. Now every anatomist 
must be aware that nature never exhibits, in animal or 
vegetable structures, the least particle, however small, which 
has not its individual and distinctive office, any more than 
she fails to provide everything necessary for all her require- 
ments. And although this dot may be very minute in size, 
as indeed the name given it implies, it must not on that 
account only be supposed to be without importance in the 
curious and mysterious process of reproduction. On the 
contrary, the very existence of this minute and distinct sub- 
stance, in the very centre, as it were, of the organs of repro- 
duction, would seem to argue a very important office and 
duty for it. Now my supposition, and I think you will not 
say it is an unnatural one, is that this dot is affected by the 
union and incorporation of the seed of both parents described 
by Dr. Harvey, as before mentioned, and that there vitality 
commences, and thence extending on every side, it is evident 
