112 Inanimate substances appear to select. 



first law of nature," is not only true of living- 

 creatures, but largely also of dead substances. Inani- 

 mate as well as animate matter, appears to usually 

 select what is good for itself. Apparent selection, 

 which is manifested in the phenomena of instinct, is 

 exhibited not only by brain, but by all material 

 substances. Acids appear to select bases, North 

 magnetism rejects North and prefers South magnetism. 

 Also if a piece of zinc is put into a mixed solution of 

 the nitrates of silver, magnesium, calcium, strontium, 

 barium, lithium, sodium, potassium, and rubidium, it 

 will select the silver only with which to form a 

 " metallic tree," and reject all the other metals. 

 Everything which aggregates or grows to a definite 

 shape, appears to select its material ; if a crystal of a 

 particular salt is placed in a mixture of saturated 

 solutions of different salts, it will only select and 

 assimilate to itself suitable material, either particles 

 of the same composition as itself, or those which are 

 isomorphous with it, i.e. belonging to the same crys- 

 talline system. In living bodies also, the same 

 principle operates ; Living tissues, whether of animals 

 or vegetables, usually select from their nutrient fluids, 

 and assimilate, particles only of those kinds of matter 

 which are suitable for their structure ; in this way, a 

 bone assimilates lime and phosphoric acid from the 

 multitude of different substances conveyed to it by 

 the blood. And in all these cases, the selecting 

 material appears to act as if it possessed the powers 

 of instinct, perception, comparison, judgment, and 



