THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE 



yellow moss coral scarlet red sea-roses, the ten- 

 tacles of which shine a gold yellow; tubipores 

 out of which branch carmine red pipes calling 

 to mind organ pipes; honey comb coral; blue 

 green poplar coral; and golden brown bush- 

 coral ; red-brown mushroom-coral ; and the great 

 dark golden flower-ball of the brain coral. Be- 

 tween these move like the shining running beetle 

 of the Alpine sod, yellow and blue black striped 

 mantis crabs, blue-red star-fish, and coal black 

 prickly sea-urchins. 



This animal sod in its splendid beauty tells 

 also, in its deepest sense an impressing tale. We 

 have seen life in a wild wrestle in the black cold 

 depths. To eat or to be eaten appeared to be 

 the only watch word. It was animal life that 

 separated from the plant, was no longer able to 

 build the marvelous structure of its foam-like 

 body out of sun, air and earth, but was restrict- 

 ed to "living nourishment." The hardest whip 

 from then on was the struggle for existence, the 

 pure struggle for sustenance. We recall with 

 this the profound thought of Darwin, that this 

 struggle in all its horror is not in vain, but leads 

 to new advance, forcing the exhaustless and 

 purely fantastic forms of life into definite paths. 

 It creates throughout this planet a stable har- 

 monious firmly balanced kingdom. It remains 

 a hard thought that in this struggle for adjust- 

 ment, for harmony with the total relations of 

 69 



