THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE 



its beginnings here at the bottom. Each one 

 of these coral animals does not consist alone of 

 an association of cells. That this is true can 

 be easily shown. With a microscope, the liv- 

 ing building-stones, the cells, are visible to the 

 eye. They are in such close community that 

 they are fitted into one another. But they are 

 arranged in a firmly regulated division of la- 

 bor. The cells of the intestinal tract digest 

 only, others perceive only, still others defend* 

 If these do not do their duty those can not de- 

 velop and vice versa. Meanwhile single inde- 

 pendent cells appears here and there like indi- 

 vidual pioneers or Robinson Crusoes that seek 

 to show that there ever existed an individuality. 

 They separate themselves from the cell-state as 

 creative cells, egg cells or fertilized cells. The 

 entire power resides in them of founding anew 

 the whole society and creating from themselves 

 a new cell family in which the division of labor 

 will appear once more. This stage of the many- 

 celled corals corresponds to the equally many- 

 celled single body of mankind. The step to- 

 ward that, which among men we call co-opera- 

 tion, association, is taken by these masses of 

 coral animals which likewise unite for mutual 

 assistance. This colored field of flowers con- 

 sists of coral colonies closely grown together 

 in which thousands of individuals unfold them- 

 selves like actual flowers on a common stem. 



