38 THE HOUSE FLY 



All forms of vegetable and animal life have their natural 

 checks, preventing their species from unduly increasing. 

 The world is a battle-ground where every plant and animal 

 is strenuously fighting for life, and at the same time putting 

 forth every effort to multiply its species. The study of 

 botany and zoology makes it clear that there is a guiding, 

 directing, moulding power or Intelligence permeating all 

 life ; and through the slow process we term Evolution the 

 various forms of life are made more complex, and in the 

 process intelligence is evolved. 



It follows, therefore, if the natural enemies of any species 

 of plant or animal diminish unduly in numbers, the balance 

 of Nature is upset, or in other words a hitch more or less 

 serious in the machinery of Nature occurs. 



Prior to the advent of Man as the dominant animal, 

 Nature invariably righted herself whenever the balance was 

 upset in the plant and lower animal world. Man, however, 

 has taken the matter in his own hands and seeks to control 

 the forces of Nature, and to intelligently direct them to his 

 special advantage. In so doing he makes some terrible 

 blunders. This is mainly due to the fact that he, as a race, 

 does not control all his actions by an educated intellect. 

 For instance, he indiscriminately slays, or allows to be 

 slain, hosts of animals which are his most valuable allies. 

 This in some instances is prompted by mistaken notions 

 that the creatures are noxious. The chief impelling motive, 

 however, is the gratifying of the destructive instinct the 

 desire to kill, which is a survival from our barbarian ances- 

 tors. Often such actions arise from pure thoughtlessness 

 due to lack of some special form of knowledge. For 

 instance, our womankind, in order to look smart and pleas- 



