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  THE 
  REALM 
  OF 
  ORGANISMS 
  CONTRASTED 
  

  

  exigencies 
  of 
  the 
  seasons, 
  and 
  to 
  recurrent 
  risks 
  of 
  injury. 
  

   It 
  may 
  be 
  subtly 
  adapted 
  to 
  its 
  mate, 
  in 
  exquisite 
  symbiosis 
  

   to 
  its 
  offspring, 
  to 
  its 
  ante-natal 
  life, 
  and 
  to 
  dying 
  at 
  the 
  

   proper 
  time 
  ! 
  Wherever 
  you 
  tap 
  organic 
  Nature, 
  Romanes 
  

   said, 
  it 
  seems 
  to 
  flow 
  with 
  purpose. 
  The 
  theory 
  of 
  this 
  will 
  

   be 
  discussed 
  later 
  on, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  meantime 
  without 
  pressing 
  

   the 
  word 
  purpose 
  let 
  us 
  emphasise 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  almost 
  all 
  

   living 
  creatures 
  are 
  definitely 
  and 
  detailedly 
  fit 
  for 
  the 
  

   particular 
  conditions 
  of 
  their 
  life. 
  There 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  

   that 
  we 
  live 
  in 
  a 
  world 
  of 
  fitnesses, 
  that 
  we 
  need 
  to 
  search 
  

   to 
  find 
  misfits. 
  When 
  we 
  think 
  we 
  have 
  found 
  them, 
  we 
  

   have 
  generally 
  made 
  a 
  mistake. 
  This 
  adaptiveness 
  is 
  an- 
  

   other 
  large 
  fact 
  of 
  life, 
  which, 
  whatever 
  be 
  the 
  scientific 
  

   theory 
  of 
  it, 
  must 
  be 
  incorporated 
  in 
  a 
  concrete 
  Philosophy 
  

   of 
  Nature. 
  Let 
  us 
  take 
  a 
  few 
  illustrations. 
  

  

  The 
  structure 
  of 
  a 
  long 
  bone 
  in 
  a 
  mammal 
  is 
  architectur- 
  

   ally 
  adapted 
  to 
  give 
  the 
  utmost 
  firmness 
  with 
  the 
  minimum 
  

   expenditure 
  of 
  material; 
  the 
  pollen-basket 
  on 
  the 
  hind-legs 
  

   of 
  worker-bees 
  is 
  adapted 
  in 
  detail 
  to 
  carrying 
  the 
  nutritive 
  

   pollen, 
  the 
  golden, 
  or 
  otherwise 
  coloured, 
  germinal 
  dust; 
  the 
  

   leaf 
  of 
  the 
  Venus 
  fly-trap 
  or 
  of 
  the 
  sundew 
  is 
  adapted 
  with 
  

   no 
  little 
  subtlety 
  to 
  catching 
  insects 
  ; 
  the 
  parts 
  of 
  flowers 
  

   are 
  often 
  adapted 
  to 
  attract 
  insect-visitors 
  and 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  

   most 
  of 
  them 
  when 
  they 
  come 
  ; 
  the 
  colours 
  and 
  patterns 
  

   of 
  leaf-insects 
  are 
  adapted 
  to 
  harmonise 
  with 
  the 
  foliage 
  

   on 
  which 
  they 
  settle; 
  the 
  heart 
  of 
  the 
  ptarmigan 
  is 
  adapted 
  

   to 
  the 
  strain 
  of 
  high 
  altitudes, 
  and 
  the 
  shoes 
  which 
  the 
  

   ruffed 
  grouse 
  puts 
  on 
  in 
  winter 
  are 
  adapted 
  for 
  treading 
  

   on 
  the 
  lightly 
  compacted 
  snow; 
  the 
  mongoose 
  is 
  chemically 
  

   adapted 
  to 
  resist 
  snake 
  poison; 
  the 
  tendrils 
  of 
  the 
  mer- 
  

   maid's 
  purse 
  are 
  non-living 
  products 
  of 
  the 
  living 
  skate 
  

   physically 
  adapted 
  to 
  fasten 
  the 
  egg 
  to 
  seaweed 
  ; 
  the 
  flatfish 
  

  

  