FINAL SELECTION 59 



knowledge of the correlation between the differ- 

 ent parts or members of a plant's organization. 



It was first prominently brought out, I believe, 

 by the French naturalist Cuvier something over 

 a hundred years ago that there is always a 

 correlation between the different structures of a 

 given animal, to accord with its habits of life. 

 For instance the teeth and claws of a cat are 

 associated with its carnivorous habits and are 

 linked with a certain structure of legs and 

 muscles adapting the creature to spring forward 

 with xeat celerity upon its prey. 



A somewhat different structure of body and 

 limb is associated with the talonless feet of the 

 dog tribe which are adapted to rapid running for 

 prolonged periods rather than to sudden leaping 

 and clutching. 



It was by careful study of the correlation of 

 parts, of which these are only crude and familiar 

 examples, that Cuvier was enabled to gain an 

 insight into the characteristics of fossil animals 

 of which only small fragments of skeletons were 

 preserved in the rocks. The science of com- 

 parative anatomy was the outgrowth of his 

 observations. 



Now it is at once obvious to anyone who 

 studies plants attentively that their structure also 

 shows a corresponding and no less invariable 



