68 WONDEBS Oi< ORGANIC LIFE. 



laws in mutual co-operation, and yet, without 

 clashing one against the other, each operating in 

 its own province to the accomplishment of a 

 living thing? 



The vital principle determines form; not 

 only form, indeed, but size or magnitude, is 

 bounded by the operation of this principle. No 

 animal or vegetable exceeds beyond a very 

 trifling degree the normal stature, bulk, or 

 weight, of the generality of its species. The 

 rose will not attain to the magnitude of the oak, 

 the myrtle to that of the cedar of Lebanon ; 

 man cannot attain to the bulk of the elephant, 

 nor the frog (though he were ambitious of the 

 feat, as is wittily represented in a wise fable) to 

 that of the ox. To the microscopic animalcule 

 the gnat is a giant — the butterfly, a monster. 



Generally speaking, growth (in each species 

 after its kind) is progressive, from the dawn of 

 life or immaturity up to a certain point, at 

 which further growth ceases. This we call 

 maturity. This growth is more slow or more 

 rapid, according to the species ; but why it 

 should cease at a given time we cannot tell. 

 It does so, and that is all we know. To the 

 law of the increase of growth from the dawn of 

 life to maturity, there are certain exceptions — 

 perhaps more apparent than real, inasmuch as 

 the fluid portions of the body are in excess, 

 until an adult condition be attained. We here 

 more particularly allude to certain races of 

 insects, as butterflies, moths, etc., the cater- 

 pillars of which weigh more, and are in fact 



