vi Preface 



from our youth in Linnean or Cuvierian schools, to 

 change our thought methods, and see how, instead of 

 merely appending the dogma of evolution to our old 

 curriculum of morphological training, to organise one truly 

 Darwinian in spirit from the beginning. But, as teacher 

 and student usually end as they begin, let them begin as 

 they would end ; neither with conning an inventory of 

 plant-mummies, nor with the tissue-unwrapping of samples 

 of these ; but with childlike watching, scene after scene, 

 of the actual drama of nature, in which life interacts with 

 life, and fate with all. Only then, indeed, can Linnaeus, 

 can Cuvier, have his due, and do his work for us. It is 

 surely in the measure of our intelligent interest in the 

 play that we notice more and more of the dra??iatis 

 personce, or have keener scrutiny of each actor in his 

 hour. Hence- the plan of this little book, which seeks 

 to lead from small scenes to great. Were it worthy, it 

 should be dedicated to the memory of Darwin, 



PATRICK GEDDES. 



