68 THE BIOLOGY OF DAILY LIFE. 



in relatively rapid streams, through channels 

 in the protoplasm which seem to have a con- 

 siderable amount of persistence." (Lay Ser- 

 mons, pp. 123 and 124.) 



Here we have a life-like picture of protoplasm, 

 drawn by a master-hand. Let us now see how it 

 applies to the particular case of man. 



Happily, I can give the words of the same master 

 of picturesque language. 



After referring to the " fact that plants can manu- 

 facture fresh protoplasm out of mineral compounds, 

 whereas animals are obliged to procure it ready-made, 

 and hence in the long run* depend upon plants," 

 Professor Huxley proceeds to say : 



" With such qualifications as arise out of the 

 last-mentioned fact, it may be truly said that 

 the acts of all living creatures are funda- 

 mentally one. Is any such unity predicable of 

 their forms ? Let us seek, in easily- verified 

 facts, for a reply to this question. If a drop of 

 blood be drawn by pricking one's finger and 

 viewed with proper precautions, and under a 

 sufficiently high microscopic power, there will be 

 seen among the innumerable multitude of little 

 circular discoidal bodies or corpuscles which 

 float in it and give it its colour, a compara- 

 tively small number of colourless corpuscles of 

 somewhat larger size and very irregular shape. 

 If the drop of blood be kept at the temperature of 

 the body these colourless corpuscles will be seen 

 to exhibit a marvellous activity, changing their 



* My contention is, that the SHORTER the run the better for the 

 animal. 



