﻿THE 
  ISSUES 
  OF 
  LIFE 
  303 
  

  

  is 
  the 
  struggle 
  for 
  existence. 
  But 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  different 
  

   ways 
  of 
  answering 
  back 
  ; 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  different 
  cards 
  

   that 
  the 
  organism 
  can 
  play. 
  One 
  creature 
  uses 
  its 
  weapons 
  

   with 
  increased 
  skill, 
  another 
  finds 
  discretion 
  the 
  better 
  part 
  

   of 
  valour; 
  both 
  are 
  reacting 
  in 
  the 
  struggle 
  for 
  existence. 
  

   One 
  creature 
  intensifies 
  its 
  competitive 
  efforts, 
  another 
  seeks 
  

   to 
  ensure 
  the 
  safety 
  and 
  success 
  of 
  its 
  offspring; 
  both 
  are 
  

   reacting 
  in 
  the 
  struggle 
  for 
  existence. 
  In 
  the 
  egg-capsules 
  

   of 
  the 
  whelk 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  larvae 
  devour 
  the 
  rest 
  a 
  grim 
  

   cannibalism 
  in 
  the 
  cradle 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  one 
  extreme, 
  of 
  which 
  

   there 
  are 
  few 
  illustrations. 
  As 
  nestling 
  birds 
  are 
  only 
  in 
  

   process 
  of 
  becoming 
  warm-blooded, 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  great 
  importance 
  

   in 
  many 
  cases 
  that 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  surrounded 
  by 
  non-con- 
  

   ducting 
  materials. 
  When 
  we 
  see 
  an 
  individual 
  bird 
  taking 
  

   particular 
  care 
  to 
  add 
  feather 
  to 
  feather 
  till 
  there 
  are 
  over 
  

   two 
  thousand, 
  we 
  know 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  unmistakably 
  strengthen- 
  

   ing 
  its 
  own 
  and 
  its 
  family's 
  foothold 
  in 
  the 
  struggle 
  for 
  

   existence, 
  but 
  its 
  reaction 
  to 
  environing 
  difficulties 
  does 
  not 
  

   hurt 
  any 
  other 
  bird. 
  This 
  is 
  at 
  the 
  opposite 
  pole, 
  and 
  

   similar 
  illustrations 
  abound. 
  

  

  The 
  race 
  is 
  not 
  always 
  to 
  the 
  swift 
  nor 
  the 
  battle 
  to 
  the 
  

   strong. 
  The 
  concept 
  of 
  struggle 
  includes 
  self-assertive 
  com- 
  

   petition, 
  but 
  it 
  also 
  includes 
  a 
  gentle 
  endeavour 
  after 
  well- 
  

   being. 
  One 
  creature 
  asserts 
  itself 
  by 
  sharpening 
  its 
  claws 
  

   and 
  whetting 
  its 
  teeth, 
  another 
  finds 
  a 
  place 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  

   invisible. 
  One 
  intensifies 
  competition 
  with 
  its 
  kin 
  around 
  

   the 
  platter 
  of 
  subsistence 
  though 
  this 
  is 
  much 
  less 
  frequent 
  

   than 
  is 
  supposed 
  ; 
  another 
  expresses 
  itself 
  in 
  more 
  elaborate 
  

   parental 
  care. 
  Nor 
  can 
  we 
  forget 
  that 
  evasive 
  change 
  of 
  

   habit 
  and 
  habitat 
  known 
  as 
  parasitism 
  the 
  door 
  to 
  which 
  

   is 
  always 
  open. 
  The 
  organism 
  has 
  many 
  a 
  thrust 
  and 
  parry, 
  

   all 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  logically 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  conception 
  of 
  

  

  