From "Country Life," London, 



The Tree of Life. 



Evolution does not move in a straight course, symbolized by the links in a 

 chain; the tree is a symbol of nature's plan of creation. The trunk represents 

 the main course of life through the ages; the branches are the great groups of 

 plants and animals that have appeared during the growth of the tree; the plants 

 and animals now living are the green twigs at the tips of the branches. In the 

 evolution of forms there are no offshoots leading from one branch to another; 

 the branches start from below and diverge as they grow, each branch maintaining 

 its own course. 



Thus life in its evolution manifests itself in a related yet divergent series of 

 forms, constituting the widespreading tree of life. 



