the same character being present and visible in one parent, and latent or
potentially present in the other.

Characters may first appear in either sex, but oftener in the male than in the
female, and afterwards be transmitted to the offspring of the same sex. In
this case we may feel confident that the peculiarity in question is really
present though latent in the opposite sex! hence the father may transmit
through his daughter any character to his grandson; and the mother conversely
to her granddaughter. We thus learn, and the fact is an important one, that
transmission and development are distinct powers. Occasionally these two
powers seem to be antagonistic, or incapable of combination in the same
individual; for several cases have been recorded in which the son has not
directly inherited a character from his father, or directly transmitted it to
his son, but has received it by transmission through his non-affected mother,
and transmitted it through his non-affected daughter. Owing to inheritance
being limited by sex, we see how secondary sexual characters may have arisen
under nature; their preservation and accumulation being dependent on their
service to either sex.

At whatever period of life a new character first appears, it generally remains
latent in the offspring until a corresponding age is attained, and then is
developed. When this rule fails, the child generally exhibits the character at
an earlier period than the parent. On this principle of inheritance at
corresponding periods, we can understand how it is that most animals display
from the germ to maturity such a marvellous succession of characters.

Finally, though much remains obscure with respect to Inheritance, we may look
at the following laws as fairly well established.

FIRSTLY, a tendency in every character, new and old, to be transmitted by