n8 SYMBIOSIS 



met by those of others, and there is, therefore, a perennial need 

 of harmonious mutual accommodation and a commensurate 

 eternal obligation of good biological conduct all progressive 

 evolution being in accordance with such conduct. 



Variations may be viewed as procreations owing everything 

 to biological support and dependent in turn upon biological, 

 i.e., bio-social sanction. The elephant, no doubt, is a " mighty " 

 creature. It must have had a very viable protoplasm to start 

 with, as indeed we should expect in the case of a cross-feeder. 

 It is possible that it is the yearning of every species to become 

 mighty, to replenish and inherit the earth. Such yearning, 

 however, is futile if the commensurate fundamental conditions 

 have not first been supplied through adequate cross-feeding and 

 adequate Symbiosis. This is the great law of which Butler 

 evidently had a presentiment. Seeing how great is the number 

 of species that have failed and that the elephant itself is a failure, 

 in as much as it verges as a species on senescence, I would 

 correct Butler by the addendum that the norm of variations 

 is due to " healthy " volition. The elephant, though a cross- 

 feeder, has yet become highly predaceous and destructive vis-d-vis 

 to plant-life, and has therefore failed to make right symbiotic 

 use of its powers. The eventual attainment of monstrous size 

 by this species, therefore, is a poor achievement of " appetency." 

 In my opinion it has been attained somewhat pathologically. 

 Malformation and monstrosity may arise simply from absence 

 of certain essential ingredients of the food. I consider mon- 

 strosity of species to be due to a gradual evolutionary form of 

 giant's 'disease, a fact upon which I have insisted in all my writings. 

 The plant yields a " complete diet " only to those animals which 

 are restrained and industrious in their habits and treat it with 

 symbiotic forbearance. Predaceous animals must be satisfied 

 with what I believe is inferior pabulum, which may be the cause 

 of disease. 



Butler's suggestion, therefore, that nine variations out of ten 

 are due to " appetency " is an exaggeration ; or at any rate 

 it needs the qualification that only healthy wishes can be fruit- 

 ful. We get, however, once more, from Butler the important 

 recognition that there are " good " ways and " bad " ways of 

 living , it being left to the reader's judgment to supply the 

 necessary distinctions and criteria. We are told : " An animal 

 which discovers the good way will gradually develop further 



