i66 THEORETICAL BIOLOGY 



strength is victorious, sometimes poison ; sometimes swift- 

 ness, sometimes inertia ; here the higher nervous system 

 wins, there the stouter armour, or sometimes the more subtle 

 chemistry ; and so forth. 



But in each case we may assume that the animal is ex- 

 ploited up to the extreme limits set it by its organisation ; 

 not only does its framework employ all the resources avail- 

 able, but also its inter-adjustment within the function-circle 

 is perfect, an inter-adjustment which secures its food and 

 wards off its enemy. 



It is as cheap as it is amateurish to sneer at the imper- 

 fection of Nature, without having regard to the limitations of 

 organisms. It is no sign of scientific insight. Unfortunately, 

 even Helmholtz did not a little to promote this view, through 

 his lack of caution in the comparisons he drew. 



I think that I have now cleared up the misunderstanding, 

 and we can proceed with our consideration of inter- 

 adjustments. 



INTER-ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN THE ENEMY- 

 AND PREY-CIRCLES 



Without some knowledge of what actually takes place in 

 Nature, it is impossible to make for oneself an adequate 

 picture of inter-adjustment ; just as with knowledge of the 

 framework, this can be got only through observation, and 

 never through logical discussion. I shall cite here two typical 

 examples, which illustrate the mutual relations of enemy and 

 prey, and give an impressive picture of inter-adjustment. 



Sometimes it happens that prey and enemy are a match 

 for one another. Only when the weapons of the attacker are 

 parried by the adequate weapons of the attacked, can we 

 speak of a real struggle. Then the conditions at the moment. 



