116 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



2. Organs for the preservation of the individual, the function of which is 

 Nutrition. 



3. Organs for external relations and self-consciousness, the function of 

 which is Sensation. 



The Reproductive and Nutritive functions are common to all organized 

 beings, and so, probably, also is the Sentient function, though manifesting 

 itself only in an incipient or rudimentary manner. The Reproductive func- 

 tion, however, beginning with mere cellular conjugation, becomes specialized 

 first in a great group of organized beings of more simple structure than either 

 Vegetables or Animals, which we regard as eminently and demonstrably a 

 primary division or kingdom, and apply to it the name Primalia. In this 

 kingdom organs of Reproduction are temporarily formed, and no other. In 

 the Vegetabilia, those organs become of greatly increased importance, though 

 not permanent, and in the Animalia they present a still higher organization , 

 and in the higher sub-kingdoms attain permanency of structure. 



The Nutritive function, beginning also in the cellular structure of our king- 

 dom Primalia, is in that group quite rudimentary, so far as relates to spe- 

 cialization of organs, but in the kingdom Vegetabilia, this function and the 

 organs performing it, especially the organs of respiration and circulation, be- 

 come specialized and assume an extraordinary degree of development. As- 

 cending to the kingdom Animalia, the organs of Nutrition become more 

 numerous and more highly organized in their structure, but the organs of 

 Respiration are not developed to such extent as in the Vegetabilia. 



That the Sentient function is also common to all organized bodies is pre- 

 sumable, or to be inferred only, from the fact that it is manifested in greater 

 or less degree in the two first kingdoms, Primalia and Vegetabilia, in sensi- 

 bility to light, to thermal or to meteorological influences, and occasionally to 

 other external influences. It i9, however, generally held by Anatomists, but 

 not without exception, that no organs of sensation are demonstrable in either 

 our group, Primalia, or in the Vegetabilia. In the kingdom Animalia, and in 

 that kingdom only, these organs are palpably most highly developed and 

 specialized in the Nervous System. We recapitulate our views in the form 

 of a corollary : 



1. The Reproductive organs are first specialized in the kingdom Primalia. 



2. The Nutritive organs are first specialized in the kingdom Vegetabilia. 



3. The Sentient organs are first specialized in the kingdom Animalia. 



The possession of an organization exclusively providing for Nutrition and 

 Reproduction characterizes the first and most simple forms of life. This or- 

 ganization for Nutrition and Reproduction, and these functions only, is the 

 especial character of the first of the three primary divisions or kingdoms of 

 organized beings, the kingdom which we have named Primalia. In that 

 group there are no other organs than those performing the function of Re- 

 production, and the structure is exclusively cellular without vascularity ; or, 

 perhaps it may be more properly stated to consist of mere unicellular ag- 

 gregation. The possession of organs for, and the first development of the 

 function of Reproduction is the specialization of this kingdom. 



The next great division or kingdom is marked by the high development of 

 the organs performing the functions of Nutrition and the superposition or 

 superaddition of organs providing for the co-operative or identical functions 

 of Respiration and Circulation. The possession of organs providing for Nu- 

 trition and Reproduction, Respiration and Circulation, and these only, char- 

 acterizes the great group of Vegetables or kingdom Vegetabilia. In this group 

 the vascular structure appears for the first time and continues to characterize 

 it in all its modifications. The possession of organs for performance of the 

 function of Nutrition in its highest development is the specialization of the 

 kingdom Vegetabilia. 



The last or most highly organized kingdom presents an exclusive and pecu- 



[May, 



