428 THE DISEASES AND DISORDERS OP THE OX. 



and sometimes it may indeed seem difficult to comprehend the 

 force of the idea of — 



one far-off divine event, 



To which the whole creation moves ; 



the goal of which the same great modern poet so beautifully 

 sings. Yet we may be sure there is such a star in the dis- 

 tance, if we could only see it ; and each one of us may rejoice to 

 think that, even if things are going in the wrong direction in 

 many cases, still on the whole all things, ay, and even evil 

 things, are working in the right way, and, in accordance with 

 the inscrutable wisdom of some wonderful Power, are " making 

 for righteousness." 



If men had not this belief, the strange facts elicited in the 

 study of parasitism would certainly shake to their very basis 

 some current conceptions regarding the unlimited power of the 

 divine will and purpose. Notwithstanding all these things, 

 however, the doctrines of pure optimism cannot be overturned, 

 if men will only think deeply enough. At any rate, we may 

 feel quite justified in propounding and reiterating them, although 

 we do not forget that often and often enough matters seem to be 

 taking the wrong route, and that there are many denizens of 

 great cities, and other human beings, who are literally starving 

 for what some of the rich are throwing away and wastefully 

 squandering. Proof upon proof can be supplied that, though the 

 interest and the progress of the community at large may not be 

 altogether and entirely the same as those of the individual units, 

 Btill the two sets of interests are inseparably connected, and 

 mutually dependent. 



If we survey the whole kingdom of life from a broad stand- 

 point, we shall find that any given living thing may be regarded 

 both as being liable to be preyed upon and as also in its turn 

 liable to prey upon others. On the one hand, therefore, care 

 must be taken to acquire sufficient means of sustenance, while, 

 on the other, each individual must beware lest he furnish food 

 for enemies. Now, one of the great principles of biology is that 

 a relation is very generally to be discerned between any animal or 

 group of animals, on the one hand, and the environment, on the 

 other. A resemblance, more or less exact, is often exhibited 

 betwixt the peculiar stones, rocks, mosses, lichens, algae, leaves, 



