THE DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES. 



217 



There is a struggle for existence between words as 

 among animals. For example, the words begin and com- 

 mence, Saxon and French, are in the English language 

 constantly brought into competition. The fittest, the 

 one that suits English purposes best, will at last sur- 

 vive. If both have elements of fitness, the field will be 

 divided between them. The silent letters in words tell 

 their past history, as rudimentary organs tell what an 

 animal's ancestry has been. This analogy, of course, 

 is not perfect in all regards, as the passing of words 

 from mouth to mouth is not homologous with the gen- 

 eration of animals. 



We may illustrate the formation of species of ani- 

 mals by following any widely used word across Europe. 

 Thus the Greek aster becomes in Latin and Italian 

 Stella J hence the Spanish estrella and the French ^toile. 

 In Germany it becomes Stern, in Danish Stjernj whence 

 the Scottish starn and English star. 



In like manner, the name cherry maybe traced from 

 country to country to which it has been taken in culti- 

 vation. Its Greek name, Kerasos, becomes cerasus, cere- 

 sia, ceriso, cereso, cerise, among the Latin nations. This 

 word is shortened to Kirsch and Kers with the people of 

 the North. In England, cherys, cherry, are obviously de- 

 rived from cerise. 



The study of a fauna or a flora as a whole is thus 

 analogous to the study of a living language. The evo- 

 lution of a language corresponds to the 



, history of the life of some region. Phi- 



language. "^ ° 



lology, systematic zoology, and botany 

 are alike intimately related to geography. The spread 

 of a language, like the spread of a fauna, is limited by 

 natural barriers. It is the work of civilization to break 

 down these barriers as limiting the distribution of civi- 

 lized man. The dominant languages cross these barri- 



