56 SYMBIOSIS 



of Parasitism. The dreadful forms of Nemesis to which Para- 

 sitism gives rise, are well known ; although the socio-physiological 

 sequence of cause and effect leading up to the fatal results is 

 far from being recognised by orthodox Biologists. 



But we need not go to Parasitism, the opposite pole of 

 Symbiosis, in order to demonstrate that predaceous feeding 

 leads to degeneration and ultimate decline. There is plentiful 

 evidence to that effect in the extinction of predaceous 

 species and genera and in the comparatively early senescence of 

 others. 



There are, for instance, the one-time terrestrial mammals, the 

 Cetacea, such as whales and dolphins, now verging on extinction, 

 which have carnivorously, and, therefore, in my opinion, retro- 

 gressively, adopted a marine habitat. A number of zoologists 

 are inclined to look upon the Cetacea and their equivalents in 

 degeneracy and monstrosity from the secondary period of 

 geological time viz., the monstrous marine reptiles, as having 

 reached a stage of senescence and effeteness. It is recognised 

 that they are descended from quadrupeds, which formerly lived 

 on the land, and, therefore, were physiologically superior to their 

 descendants. The arrival of these monsters in a blind alley of 

 evolution, which I would explain on bio-economic grounds 

 namely, as due to their divorce from Symbiosis is otherwise 

 regarded as a mystery, and Darwin despairingly exclaims : " The 

 extinction of species has been involved in the most gratuitous 

 mystery." " No one can have marvelled more than I have done 

 at the extinction of species." 



We have. as yet to rid our minds of a good deal of prejudice 

 even regarding our terrestrial carnivora. Some may think of 

 the lion as a " king of animals," but in reality he is a " sick man " 

 and has little chance of survival with the advance of " organic 

 civilisation." He stands for " might is right," and, therefore, 

 he has to go. 



That the principle of depredation is not sanctioned by Nature, 

 is borne out by a number of important facts. It was held at 

 one time that wild animals in nature could not harbour disease. 

 Were they not " naturally selected " ? Had they not been passed 

 through " the sieve of Natural Selection " ? And was not 

 " Natural Selection " as rigid in its operations as, say, gravita- 

 tion ? What are the facts ? There is a wide zoological distri- 

 bution of disease, and, further, the more predaceous and as a 



