ADAPTATION OF STRUCTURE. 373 



protection would have been unnecessary. Is it 

 possible to avoid the conclusion which a contem- 

 plation of this admirably adapted structure forces 

 upon us, that the Supreme Intelligence in ori- 

 ginating the structure intimately knew and care- 

 fully provided for the laws of the transmission of 

 caloric ? 



But it remains to be added that the integu- 

 ment in question answers a third purpose. It is 

 extremely elastic, and it is well known that elas- 

 tic substances, and even air itself, which possesses 

 great elasticity, present an increasing resistance 

 with every increase of pressure. Thus the more 

 elastic the substance is the more does its reaction 

 equal the compressing power to which it is ex- 

 posed. Now the whale is wont to descend to an 

 immense depth in the ocean, and this would ex- 

 pose it to destruction, were it not for the resist- 

 ance which the structure of the skin presents to 

 the enormous compression of the surrounding 

 water. At a great depth below the surface every 

 square inch of the animal's body may be pressed 

 upon with a ton weight, making an aggregate 

 compressing force of many thousands of tons. 

 This immense power must necessarily diminish, 

 to a certain degree, the whale's body ; but the 

 compression extends, it is certain, only a limited 

 distance from the surface of the skin, and cannot, 

 therefore, extend to any of the vital organs. Does 

 not this use of the peculiar structure of the skin 

 clearly indicate the design of Supreme Wisdom ? 



BBS 



