212 LIVING PLANTS 



belief in the fabulous tales about strange be- 

 ings in far off lands, such as Pliny describes 

 in his Natural History, and were able to keep 

 their love of the marvelous within bounds, 

 Ancient and to found their conceptions so far as pos- 



opinions sible Upon verifiable observations, held more 



rational and clearer views of the two king- 

 doms. As a consequence of direct, although 

 not extended, observation the separation of 

 the higher animals and plants appeared to 

 most persons of bygone times, as well as of 

 today, simple enough. The free, independent 

 movements of animals, well directed toward 

 evident ends, and plainly originating from in- 

 ternal impulses, have from such a standpoint 

 fully entitled them to be called animate ob- 

 jects ; while plants, deprived of the power of 

 moving about, seemingly without feeling, and 

 to all appearance incapable of conscious re- 

 action, could only be described as living, as 

 animate, only by an extension of terms, and 

 certainh' not as sentient. 



It does not take a very wide acquaintance 

 with living nature, however, to become aware 

 that freedom of movement and fixity of posi- 

 tion are not distinctive characters of animals 

 and plants respectively, and that even the 

 possession of feeling does not wholly separate 

 them. Many centuries ago, as we learn from 



