sire. The thirst for travel was upon him travel, not LITTL/E 

 for adventure, but for knowledge. JOURNEYS 



He resigned his office and tramped with knapsack on 

 back across the Alps. The habit of his mind was that 

 of the naturalist investigator. Geology, botany and 

 zoology were his properties by divine right. These 

 sciences really form one geognosy, or the science of 

 the formation of the earth. The plants dissolve and 

 disintegrate the rocks ; the animal feeds upon the 

 plants ; and animal life makes new forms of vegetation 

 possible. So the mineral, vegetable and animal king- 

 doms evolve together, constantly tending toward a 

 greater refinement and complexity. 

 The highest form of animal life is man ; and the high- 

 est type of man is evolved where there is a proper 

 balance between the animal and vegetable kingdoms. 

 Q Humboldt discovered very early in his career that 

 the finest flowers grow where there are the finest 

 birds, and man separated from birds, beasts and flow- 

 ers could not possibly survive. 



About this time Humboldt, taking the cue from Goethe, 

 said, " Man is a product of soil and climate, and is 

 brother to the rocks, trees and animals. He is depend- 

 ent on these, and all things seem to point to the truth 

 that he has evolved from them. The accounts of spec- 

 ial creation are interesting as archaeology, but biology 

 is distinctly the business of modern scientists. The 

 scientist tells what he knows, and the theologist what 

 he believes." 



And again we find Humboldt writing from Switzer- 



109 



