142 THE BIOC08M08 CELLULAR. 



nation with which this elemental stuff is en- 

 dowed? Manifestly here we glimpse the psy- 

 chical strain which runs through all Nature 

 and propels it from without and from with- 

 in toward the self-conscious individual. 



The next point which we may consider is 

 that this peculiar antecedent life-slime, this 

 unindividuated mass vitally individuating it- 

 self, must have arisen somewhere and some- 

 when on our globe after it had reached a cer- 

 tain stage in its planetary evolution. Not 

 when it was a nebulous piece of fire-mist just 

 flung off from the Heliosphere; not when it 

 had cooled down for many millions of years, 

 but was still red-hot and would not allow the 

 formation of water on its surface; a much 

 later epoch must be taken when the Earth is 

 ready with air, soil and moisture, and actu- 

 ally evolves this earliest life-stuff, about one 

 hundred million years ago, according to cer- 

 tain scientists. On some favorable part of 

 our planet it must have started; as the Earth 

 was still hot in portions, it has been conjec- 

 tured that the Arctic regions first produced 

 those limits of temperature in which Life 

 arises and thrives. Hence from the poles, now 

 grown too cold for vital thrift, the plant and 

 animal have overspread the other zones, 

 which possibly in their turn may get too 

 frigid. And still but a very small part of the 



