68 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT 



then, the specific heat of water, as is actually 

 the case, be nearly or quite a maximum among 

 all specific heats, it follows that the fitness of 

 water in this respect is nearly maximal. 



Again the ocean contains an astonishing 

 variety of substances in solution, and they 

 are present often in large quantities. In this 

 manner a very great supply of food in very 

 great variety is offered marine organisms. 

 Of course such richness of the environment is 

 an exceedinglv favorable circumstance for the 

 organism, and it is due principally to the 

 ability of water to dissolve a multitude of 

 things in large quantities. It is not to be 

 supposed that the substances present in sea 

 water are all of use to every organism. This 

 need not be the case at all ; but a variety of 

 supplies which may be adapted to special re- 

 quirements as they arise, here iodine, there cop- 

 per, for instance, is a very genuine advantage. 

 Further, the vast utility of the solvent action 

 of water in blood, lymph, and all the body 

 fluids is too patent to call for comment. If, 

 now, it can be shown that the efficiency of 

 water is nearly or quite a maximum, as it 

 really is, among all known solvents, then it 

 must be evident that in another respect the 

 fitness of water is nearly or quite maximal. 



Again the amount of energy that is re- 



