104 THE BEGINNINGS OF LIFE. 



only factors necessary for bringing about this marvel- 

 lous transformation, for enabling Living Matter to 

 originate in the tissues of plants by means of a complex 

 rearrangement of pre-existing not-living elements. 



To some these views concerning the nature of Life 

 and vital manifestations may seem to be sadly insuffi- 

 cient, reducing it, as the theory does, to a mere inter- 

 play between a material aggregate of a particular kind 

 and its environment. But, it must not be forgotten that 

 the only fair way, in judging of the adequacy of such 

 an hypothesis, is to consider how far it is applicable 

 as an explanation of the phenomena exhibited by the 

 lowest Living Things. The more we look to the higher 

 forms of Life, the more apt are we to be blinded to 

 the real and essential nature of the phenomena taking 

 place, owing to the greater complexity which has arisen 

 in their various functions step by step with the struc- 

 tural differentiation of the organism itself. Never- 

 theless, even from phenomena presented by some of 

 these higher organisms, evidence may be obtained 

 which is certainly more reconcilable with the con- 

 ceptions of Life to which we have just been alluding 

 than with any other. 



When seeds of wheat, produced by living plants in 

 times antecedent to the Pharaohs, can remain in the 

 Egyptian catacombs, through century after century 

 displaying of course no vital manifestations, but never- 

 theless retaining the potentiality of growing into per- 



