CONTENTS 



PAGE 



INTRODUCTION 3 



I. THE ROMANCE OF THE HEAVENS ... 7 



The scale of the universe The solar system Regions of the 

 sun The surface of the sun Measuring the speed of light 

 Is the sun dying? The planets Venus Is there life on 

 Mars ? Jupiter and Saturn The moon The mountains of the 

 moon Meteors and comets Millions of meteorites A great 

 comet The stellar universe The evolution of stars The age 

 of stars The nebular theory Spiral nebulae The birth and 

 death of stars The shape of our universe Astronomical 

 instruments. 



II. THE STORY OF EVOLUTION 53 



The beginning of the earth Making a home for life The first 

 living creatures The first plants The first animals Begin- 

 nings of bodies Evolution of sex Beginning of natural death 

 Procession of life through the ages Evolution of land 

 animals The flying dragons; The first known bird Evi- 

 dences of evolution Factors in evolution. 



III. ADAPTATIONS TO ENVIRONMENT . . . .113 



The shore of the sea The open sea The deep sea The fresh 

 waters The dry land The air. 



IV. THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE .... 135 



Animal and bird mimicry and disguise Other kinds of elusiveness. 



V. THE ASCENT OF MAN 153 



Anatomical proof of man's relationship with a Simian stock 

 Physiological proof Embryological proof Man's pedigree 

 Man's arboreal apprenticeship Tentative men Primitive men 

 Races of mankind Steps in human evolution Factors in 

 human progress. 



