"DIRECTIVITY" A WITNESS OF MIND 8i 



(which contains no nitrogen) other granules are made 

 containing nitrogen and certain minerals which will be 

 required in due course. In some grains and seeds oil is 

 present instead of starch. 



When the time comes for the seed to germinate, the 

 embryo can make no use of these permanent forms of 

 food until they have been changed into liquid states 

 capable of being assimilated. This is done by means of 

 ferments or enzymes, which convert the starch into sugar, 

 the " gluten " into " peptones," etc. The embryo now 

 absorbs them, and the starch ultimately goes to build up 

 the cell-walls and the nitrogenous gluten to increase the 

 quantity of living protoplasm. 



The above is but a sketch : a number of other facts 

 might be mentioned, every one implying directivity or 

 determination of the paths along which molecules have 

 to travel to carry out the above and many more peculi- 

 arities of a grain of corn, all conspiring to secure the 

 most perfect adaptation of means to ends. 



Generalising these observations over the structure of 

 many kinds of plants or animals, Mr. Croll says : " In 

 Nature we have a group of molecular movements corre- 

 sponding to the objective idea of each particular object 

 that is being formed. In objects of the same species the 

 groups of molecular movements have a specific resemblance 

 to one another, while in the formation of all objects of the 

 same genus there is a genuine resemblance between the 

 groups of molecular movements. In the formation of ob- 

 jects of the same family we have a still higher unity, com- 

 prehending a still greater number of groups of molecular 

 movements. We go on in like manner till we reach a 

 unity which comprehends under it all the groups of 

 molecular movements occurring in the vegetable or in 

 the animal kingdom. The unity which pervades the 







