XI PHENOMENA OF ORGANIC NATURE 329 



present moment a millionth part of the matter of 

 which, they were originally formed ! We have 

 seen, again, that not only is the living matter 

 derived from, the inorganic world, but that the 

 forces of that matter are all of them correlative 

 with and convertible into those of inorganic 

 nature. 



This, for our present purposes, is .the best view 

 of the present condition of organic nature which I 

 can lay before you : it gives you the great outlines 

 of a vast picture, which you must fill up by your 

 own study. 



In the next lecture I shall endeavour in the 

 same way to go back into the past, and to sketch 

 in the same broad manner the history of life in 

 epochs preceding our own. 



