VII THE STUDY OF ZOO 



graphical and geological distribution would have 

 attained their limit. 



But you will observe one remarkable circum- 

 stance, that, up to this point, the question of the 

 life of these organisms has not come under con- 

 sideration. Morphology and distribution might be 

 studied almost as well, if animals and plants were 

 a peculiar kind of crystals, and possessed none of 

 those functions which distinguish living beings so 

 remarkably. But the facts of morphology and 

 distribution have to be accounted for, and the 

 science, the aim of which it is to account for 

 them, is Physiology. 



Let us return to our lobster once more. If we 

 watched the creature in its native element, we 

 should see it climbing actively the submerged 

 rocks, among which it delights to live, by means 

 of its strong legs ; or swimming by powerful strokes 

 of its great tail, the appendages of the sixth 

 joint of which are spread out into a broad fan-like 

 propeller : seize it, and it will show you that its 

 great claws are no mean weapons of offence ; sus- 

 pend a piece of carrion among its haunts, and it 

 will greedily devour it, tearing and crushing the 

 flesh by means of its multitudinous jaws. 



Suppose that we had known nothing of the 

 lobster but as an inert mass, an organic crystal, if 

 I may use the phrase, and that we could suddenly 

 see it exerting all these powers, what wonderful 

 new ideas and new questions would arise in our 



