9 3 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



vital characteristics, may be described as c the continuous 

 adaptation of internal to external relations ?' This is the 

 essence of Life in its dynamical aspect. The causes 

 of change are, however, omnipresent ; and the most 

 potent of them seem to be those rays of Heat and Light 

 which are transmitted to us from our great central 

 luminary in the form of molecular motions by means 

 of subtle impacts and wave-like undulations in the 

 intervening realms of ether-space. These are the best 

 known, and possibly the most influential of the forces 

 which, emanating from the centre of our solar system, 

 spirit-like, work their vivifying influence by producing 

 such material combinations as are capable of mani- 

 festing the phenomena of Life. 



The question how such ethereal undulations are 

 capable of bringing about the gradually more complex 

 molecular re-arrangements by which an organizable 

 material has been supposed to be producible ; and how 

 in the already existing living thing they exert their 

 influence in those processes of assimilation and growth, 

 whereby not-living materials are continually being converted 

 into living tissue, is one of the deepest interest towards 

 the solution of which Mr. Spencer has contributed some 

 most valuable suggestions. 



c The elements of the problem,' as Mr. Spencer 

 says, c are these : The atoms of several ponderable 

 matters exist in combination : those that are com- 

 bined having strong affinities, but having also affi- 

 nities less strong for some of the surrounding atoms 



