206 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT 



This is relatively a simple case. As the 

 number of carbon atoms in the molecule 

 increases, the number of possible oxygen 

 derivatives multiplies in a far more rapid 

 progression than in the case of the simplest 

 hydrocarbons, which has been stated above. 

 Accordingly there can be no doubt that in 

 addition to the many thousands now known, 

 the existence of countless millions of com- 

 pounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen, and 

 oxygen alone is possible. In a large propor- 

 tion of cases the only difficulties involved in 

 their preparation are to obtain suitable start- 

 ing materials, and the enormous labor of the 

 process. There are, for instance, hundreds 

 of thousands of possible hydroxyl derivatives 

 alone of the paraffine hydrocarbons of the 

 formula Ci 4 H 30 , but only one of these is now 

 known. 1 Yet all, or at least a vast majority, 

 would unquestionably be stable bodies if 

 once formed. 



Not less important than the number and 

 variety of such substances is their diversity 

 of physical and chemical characteristics. The 

 following are, for example, individual chemi- 

 cal compounds of at least moderate purity, 

 made up of the three elements alone : al- 

 cohol, formaldehyde, acetic acid, carbolic 



1 Me thai, a constituent of spermaceti. 



