THE EPIC OF EVOLUTION 505 



Following the identification and naming of living things, in order 

 to have any intellectual peace of mind it is necessary to arrange 

 them in some sort of order. "Mother Nature" does not do that for 

 us, since her household is everywhere always in bustling delightful 

 confusion. We are forced, therefore, to regulate natural things for 

 ourselves, if we would approach the study of all these forms in any 

 satisfactory scientific way. 



When elaborating a reasonable scheme of classification, the tax- 

 onomist runs invariably into evidences of evolution. If no other 

 line of evidence had ever been established to prove the truth of 

 evolution, that from classification alone would be conclusive. The 

 criteria which have been found to be most useful in grouping organ- 

 isms together intelligibly are not superficial or functional character- 

 istics, but the more deep-seated anatomical structures that indicate 

 genetic relationship. It would be quite futile to depend upon a 

 superficial characteristic like the presence of spines, for example, as 

 a standard of classification, since it would bring together such strange 

 bedfellows as porcupines, thistles, Murex shells, sea-urchins, and 

 cacti, ending in as much confusion as ever. On the other hand, if 

 some more deep-seated anatomical character is selected, like the 

 backbone, then there can be gathered into one proper fraternal group 

 forms of such diverse appearance as bird, beast, and fish. Or in 

 flowering plants if, for example, such a superficial character as yellow 

 color is employed for purposes of classification, then representatives 

 of families as diverse as dandelions, roses, sunflowers, and witch- 

 hazels would be incongruously bunched together, and everyone knows 

 that would never do. 



There are, instead, many available fundamental differences, such 

 as the number and arrangement of the floral organs, which are 

 satisfactory and dependable criteria for classification, because they 

 indicate relationship. External features, that are naturally exposed 

 directly to molding environmental influences, register where an organ- 

 ism has been. Internal characteristics more often signify true rela- 

 tionship, and what an organism actually is. Although clothes may 

 distinguish a prince from a pauper, underneath both robes and rags 

 "a man's a man for a' that." As Kipling has it, "the Colonel's 

 lady an' Judy O'Grady are sisters under their skins." 



Taxonomy actually resolves itself into anatomical and embryo- 

 logical description, since this sort of detail is necessary as a basis for 

 discrimination. 



