110 ON ZOOLOGY. 



for the purpose of more fully illustrating the 

 respective attributes of each, and their relative 

 rank in the scale of the creation. We then ob- 

 served, that vegetables were organized, living 

 substances, occupying a large portion of the 

 surface of the globe, in which they acted a very 

 important part, and contributed in a most essen- 

 tial degree to the support of another class of living 

 substances, denominated animals; a large portion 

 of which, without their aid, would perish, and 

 their species be annihilated. 



That to qualify them to produce these impor- 

 tant effects, they are endued with a very curious 

 piece of mechanism, consisting of vessels or 

 tubes, and of cells, variously arranged and com- 

 bined, through the agency of which they absorb 

 from the earth, or spot in which they are fixed, 

 those nutrient materials that are necessary for 

 their growth, development, and perpetuation ; 

 and having accomplished their destinies, without 

 consciousness and voluntary locomotion, they 

 die on the spot which first gave them existence. 



Thus vegetables, which involuntarily perform 

 the purposes for which they are created, and 

 being intended only to act a subordinate part in 

 the grand scale of nature, did not require that 

 higher order of faculties which we see distinguish 

 the animal kingdom. It was sufficient that they 

 lived to fulfil the limited purposes assigned to 

 them, and without consqiousness of their existence 



