202 ESSAY ON CLASSIFICATION. 



period, and under the present state of things upon earth, 

 exhibits thought : it shows, also, that limitation in time is 

 an essential element of all finite beings, while eternity is 

 an attribute of the Deity only. 



1 6th. The definite relations in which animals stand to 

 the surrounding world, exhibit thought ; for all animals 

 living together stand respectively, on account of their 

 very differences, in different relations to identical con- 

 ditions of existence, in a manner winch implies a con- 

 siderate adaptation of their varied organization to these 

 uniform conditions. 



17th. The relations in which individuals of the same 

 species stand to one another, exhibit thought, and go far 

 to prove the existence in all living beings of -an immaterial, 

 imperishable principle, similar to that which is generally 

 conceded to man only. 



18th. The limitation of the range of changes which 

 animals undergo during their growth, exhibits thought ; 

 it shows most strikingly the independence of these changes 

 of external influences, and the necessity that they should 

 be determined by a power superior to these influences. 



19th. The unequal limitation in the average duration 

 of the life of individuals in different species of animals, 

 exliibits thought ; for, however uniform or however diver- 

 sified the conditions of existence may be under which 

 animals live together, the average duration of life, in dif- 

 ferent species, is unequally limited. It points, therefore, 

 at a knowledge of time and space, and of the value of 

 time, since the phases of life of different animals are ap- 

 portioned according to the part they have to perform upon 

 the stage of the world. 



20 tli. The return to a definite norm of animals which 

 multiply in various ways, exliibits thought, It shows 



