distinctive qualities fit them to grow in the region where you find them? In what 

 respects are the dominant forms com.peting with other species? with individuals of 

 the same species? What animal forms gain their living directly or indirectly from 

 the vegetation studied? Summarize your findings. 



2 To study the characteristics which qualify a plant as a "weed", collect several 

 weeds from cultivated fields and find out in what ways they seem particularly 

 adapted to grow and reproduce. What is there about the roots, stems, leaves, fruits 

 or seeds that particularly fit these plants to compete successfully with crop plants? 



3 To see whether weed seeds or seeds of cultivated plants sprout faster, mix 

 several varieties of weed seeds with garden-flower seeds and grow in a box under 

 optimal conditions. Chart the individual germination and early growth of the 

 various seeds and plants day by day to show variations in rates. Summarize and 

 interpret your findings. 



4 To find out how plants escape being eaten, study as many different plants as 

 you can to see what special characteristics about them are Hkely to repel animals. 

 List the plants and describe or picture the protective adaptations of each. 



5 To study the various adaptive structures, list a number of animals under 

 observation, and opposite each name state the structures and other characteristics 

 that enable the animal (a) to get food and {b) to escape enemies. Summarize your 

 findings. 



QUESTIONS 



1 What various activities are carried on by animals in their "struggle for 

 existence"? 



2 In what sense do plants "struggle"? 



3 In what ways does the "struggle for existence" among animals resemble 

 that among plants? In what ways do the two differ? 



4 What is the connection between fitness and environment? 



5 To what extent are the factors which determine whether or not an organ- 

 ism will live and reproduce selective} To what extent mere chance? 



6 How do radical changes in the physical conditions of a region bring about 

 changes in the vegetation and animal fife? 



7 What are the advantages that come to man from his social mode of life? 

 What are the disadvantages? 



8 What other species show a high degree of social organization? In what re- 

 spects is the social life of these organisms like man's? In what ways is it different? 



9 How does the struggle for existence among men resemble that among other 

 animals? In what ways does it differ? 



10 Upon what assumptions do men base their goals, or aims? To what extent 

 can better understandings improve or redirect the goals of men? 



11 How can we direct the "struggles" of men away from getting special ad- 

 vantages at the expense of others to striving to attain the greatest benefits for all? 



558 



