Ill 



THE STRUGGLE OF LIFE 



35 



certain type, but the actual alternative may be a longer 

 life or an earlier death, a large and successful family or 

 a small and miserable one. The struggle is often keen, 

 but it is often accurately described as an endeavour after 

 well-being. There is very little in nature that can be 



/ 



compared to human warfare ; there is nothing to justify 

 such a libel as comparing nature to " a continual free- 

 fight ' or to "a dismal cockpit." One naturalist says 



FIG. 6. CLAWS. 



The claw (CL) of a tiger, on one of the fingers. The upper figure shows 

 the claw partly retracted into its sheath (not shown) an adaptation for 

 keeping it sharp when the animal is at rest or is simply walking. In 

 the fore-foot it is drawn back into a sheath on the outer side of the middle 

 joint or phalanx (II). In the hind-foot it is drawn back into a sheath 

 on the upper side of the middle joint. MC, a metacarpal or palm-bone ; 

 S, a sesamoid or joint bone ; /, //, III, the three phalanges or joints of 

 the finger; Tl, an elastic ligament that pulls the claw back; T2, the 

 tendon of a muscle that protrudes the claw. The claw corresponds to a 

 human nail. 



that all nature breathes a hvmn of love, but he is an 



V 



optimist under sunny southern skies ; another compares 

 nature to a huge gladiatorial show with a plethora of 

 fighters, but he speaks as a pessimist from amid the din 

 of individualistic human competition. Living creatures 

 are no strangers to struggle and fear, but the struggle is 

 sometimes outdone by sacrifice, and the fear is some- 

 times cast out bv love. 



/ B 



We must be careful to remember Darwin's proviso 



