SENSIBILITY AND MIND. 83 



action. With this ganglionic center of nerve force, 

 the slug or snail can exist within its environments or 

 surroundings as logically and effectually as an elephant 

 or an ox. The neural knots consist chiefly of fat and 

 phosphorus in the form of oleo-phosphoric acid ; and 

 the oxydation of the phosphorus is the chemical action 

 that evolves nervous energy or nerve force. The 

 neural apparatus is simple in a jelly-fish, yet it is im- 

 pressible, purposive, and executive. As the creature 

 spreads itself out into a thin net and sends but arms 

 to ensnare prey, a plan is displayed; and when the 

 colloid mass of living matter closes in upon or envel- 

 opes a victim to be used for food, a purpose is exe- 

 cuted ; and the entire procedure is carried out by the 

 action of a nervous system of the simplest kind con- 

 ceivable. A certain degree of intelligence is mani- 

 fested in the creature's operations ; and a kindred 

 intelligence, in varying degrees of intensity, takes 

 care of life as well as it can, in all grades or con- 

 ditions of animality. In the lowest appreciable form 

 there is collected into a knot a mass of phosphorized 

 fat which is vitalized; and this, through the medium 

 of oxygen constantly supplied, becomes a battery for 

 the evolution of nerve power. Placed in the soft body 

 of a snail it generates intelligence enough to enable the 

 creature to crawl forth in favorable weather to gather 

 food, and to withdraw within its shell when danger 

 threatens. If that intelligence be not- mind it answers 

 the purposes of one in the execution of the few desires 

 of an exceedingly humble creature. 



In ascending the scale of living beings a class of 

 animals is encountered having segmented bodies, or 

 several parts chained together in rings, as spiders, 

 wasps, ants, and butterflies. All these have a collec- 



