108 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



But the Death of organisms is even capable of teach- 

 ing us something as to their life : their mode of dying 

 is typical of their mode of living. The more highly 

 developed an organism has become, the more has speci- 

 alization been brought about in the functions of its 

 several parts, and (in almost the same proportion) the 

 more has the all become welded into a -whole. The 

 greater the degree of interdependence existing between 

 the actions of its several parts, the more is the well- 

 being of the entire organism interfered with by damage 

 occurring to any one of these principal parts. Through 

 the intervention, for the most part, of the nervous 

 system and the vascular system, this individuality of 

 the entire organism is carried to the most marked 

 extent in the highest vertebrata, so that the Life of 

 one of these creatures regarded as a whole, or sum 

 total of phenomena differs almost as widely as it is 

 possible from that of some of the lowest animals on 

 the one hand, and from that of plants on the other. 

 Their mode of death also is quite different. And as 

 with Life, so is it with Death, we are perhaps too apt 

 to form our notions concerning each from what we see 

 taking place in man himself and in the higher living 

 things many people apparently never reflect upon the 

 striking differences which are presented, in this respect, 

 by the lowest animals as well as by the members of the 



adverse to resumption of the vital form of force, a longer period being 

 needed for this effect in the Rotifer, a shorter one in the Man, still 

 shorter, it may be, in the Amoeba.' 



