THE NATURE OF ANIMALITY. 209 



element — which collectively constitute a horse, dog, or pigeon 

 — remain unaltered, whether the animal has assumed a de- 

 graded or an elevated type of its specific form. 



2d. An animal is adapted to its geographical area "by the 

 endowments of its conscious principle, of which element its 

 corporeal structure is the mere instrument. 



8. Every animal reacts on the area which it inhabits ; 

 that reaction being, in fact, the final purpose for which the 

 animal was created. The animal, therefore, while indirectly 

 advancing, through its instinctive consciousness, the end pro- 

 posed in the creation of its species, by providing for the 

 sustenance of its own body, and the reproduction of its own 

 kind, is also engaged directly but instinctively in the further- 

 ance of that progressive modification of its own portion of 

 terrestrial surface necessary for the present existence, and for 

 the future and higher purposes for which that area is destined. 

 Thus, it is indirectly engaged in furthering its Creator's plan. 



9. If the principle which I have stated be correct — that the 

 structure of an animal is merely the instrument of its instinctive 

 consciousness — then the conclusions to which we must come 

 are most important. For, if we be correct, then we must look for 

 the specific character of an animal not merely in its corporeal 

 structure, but fundamentally in its instinctive consciousness, 

 ami in the manifestations of that conscious element. We 

 must also look for the explanation of the dependence of 

 specific animal forms on their appropriate geographical areas, 

 not in the mere adaptation of their corporeal structure, but 

 more immediately in their specific instinctive consciousness. 

 When a Bpecies ceases i<» exist, we must consider its dis- 

 appearance as the result, not of a mere struggle I'm- existence 

 with other animal I'mms or with cosmical conditions, nor of 

 insufficienl adaptivity to such extenl of altered conditions of 



lil'r ;i> its specific endowments admit, but as the mure or 

 Less direct result (if the law impressed upon its instinctive 



