ORGANIC AND INORGANIC MATTER COMPARED. 91 



and the crocodile, the distinction is palpable. 

 But when we come to zoophytes, and sponges, 

 and pass from them to confervae and fungi, who 

 will declare and decide the bounds of their 

 separation ? Fungi, like animals, absorb oxygen 

 and exhale carbonic acid gas. As for truly 

 sentient principles, the zoologist looks not for 

 such in the animal kingdom below a certain 

 grade. Wherein, then, we would ask, does the 

 tree, exhibiting in each leaf a centre of vitality, 

 differ from the compound zoophyte, (say 

 Thaiaria,) each polype of which is in itself a 

 centre of vitality ? It maybe urged that in 

 these cases chemical composition is different, 

 and that in the one instance carbon is drawn in 

 and made part and parcel of the system, that 

 oxygen is returned to the atmosphere, and that 

 in the case of the zoophyte, the contrary takes 

 place. Now as regards the zoophytes (we here 

 exclude the higher orders of animals) this has 

 never been proved ; while certain plants, as the 

 fungi, are so animalized in structure, as to 

 absorb oxygen, and exhale carbonic acid gas — 

 what more do the lungs of man effect, or of any 

 other air-inspiring animal ? We may here also 

 observe, that the elementary body termed iodine 

 is equally obtained from marine molluscous 

 animals and zoophytes, and also from marine 

 seaweeds. We only mention this coincidence, 

 but we do not adduce it as a proof of anything 

 like a coalescence between the animal and vege- 

 table kingdoms. At the same time we consider 

 it interesting, as one among the countless curio- 

 sities of nature. 



