THEIR POSITION IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 5 



almost exclusively the result of adaptation. The 

 power of the animal to move in accordance with 

 the peculiarity of the place of its abode, to secure 

 its food, and to rear its offspring, is in most cases 

 so perfect (if the imperfections are concealed) that 

 the real purpose would seem to be the harmony of 

 the surroundings and means of subsistence of the 

 organism. The scientific novice as well as the 

 dualistic philosopher finds ' a purpose in nature ' 

 a common purpose of connected systems of organs 

 even where the scientific inquirer sees a number 

 of imperfections, that might more consistently 

 with a ' purpose ' have been avoided had the 

 natura naturans wished to take a more direct road. 

 How precarious this idea of a ' purpose in nature ' 

 is, as regards our own bodies, might, we think, 

 be felt with every cold in the head. It is only 

 when the adaptability has become an actual con- 

 dition that the result appears to be a preordained 

 purpose. 



Those who regard the Mammalia as organisms 

 adapted for some special purpose, and exactly in 

 their place when and as we find them, are satis- 

 fied with a systernative manual on the subject. 

 But, we ask, is this kind of knowledge science ? 

 Does this knowledge give us any real understand- 



