ZOOGENY. 343 



1905. They are merely distinguished by darkness and 

 light, but more closely by water and air. The intestine 

 is the water-tegument, the skin the air-tegument. 



1906. The functions of both are therefore co-related 

 like dissolution is to combustion, along with which the 

 evaporation has been bestowed. 



1907. Intestine and skin stand in antagonism with 

 each other. 



1908. The first animal, as being sentient integument, r /77 

 is a sac ; the first skin is also a sac ; an animal around ' / 

 the animal. 



2. DERMAL SI STEM. 



a. Branchiae or Gills. 



1909. The external wall, being constantly exposed to 

 the air that is in the water, can adopt no other than the 

 aerial character, and is thus like the leaf of the plant. 

 The skin is the organ of evaporation, and with this of 

 oxydation also. 



1910. A self-oxydizing integument is called a Branchia 

 or gill. 



1911. The skin is essentially nothing else than a gill; 

 and, if it subsequently appears as anything else, this 

 happens only through a higher state of perfection being 

 attained by its branchial function. 



1912. The lowest animals, such as most of the worms, 

 molluscs, and snails, breathe through the external inte- 

 gument ; even the gills of fishes are none other than a 

 piece of skin. 



1913. Thus gills and intestine would be the first two 

 organs, which are developed out of the tegumentary 

 system by the antagonism of air and water. Through 

 the gills, air, and through the intestine, water enters the 

 body. The gill is the atmosphere of the animal, the 

 intestine is its sea. 



b. Trachea, or Air-tubes. 



1914. As the intestine, and in general every water- 



