HARMONY OF NATURE. 203 



great powers of repairing injuries sustained, and 

 an almost total insensibility to pain. Even in 

 the higher animals susceptibility to pain only 

 exists as a necessary and indispensable condition 

 to their welfare, it being well known that sensi- 

 bility is almost confined to the skin and outer 

 portions of the body, the deeper tissues being 

 capable of pain in a much slighter degree. 



A familiar illustration of the law of fitness is 

 to be found in the well-known fable of the 

 pumpkin and the acorn. It is true that with 

 certain exceptions * such as the brazil-nut and 

 the durian, fruits large enough to cause serious 

 injury to men or animals by falling from a height, 

 do not usually grow on lofty trees. Even these 

 exceptions hardly invalidate the rule, for the 

 fruits mentioned are actually smaller than many 

 which grow near the ground ; and if they bore 

 the same proportion to the plants on which they 

 grow, as a pumpkin or a melon, they would 

 indeed be of gigantic size. 



If the Universe were not under omniscient 

 agency, its harmonies would be inexplicable. 

 If we admit the theory of Special Creation, we 



* Compare Wallace' " Malay Archipelago," ch. v. 



