v i GENERAL BIOLOGY 



We are organisms; and out of that fact grow the funda- 

 mental relations that general biology bears to a whole wide 

 range of special sciences, the threshold of which may, I hope, 

 be reached by those who follow the course here outlined. 

 After Chapter I, which is introductory, the studies of chap- 

 ter II should lead up to physiology, algology, mycology, 

 bacteriology, protozoology, etc., those of chapter III, to 

 morphology, comparative anatomy, embryology, paleonto- 

 logy and special botany and zoology; those of chapter IV, 

 to cytology and eugenics; those of chapter V, to ecology, 

 and limnology; those of chapter VI, to pathology, experi- 

 mental biology, etc.; those of chapter VII, to neurology, 

 psychology, sociology and ethnology. And in the broader 

 sense of these terms ; many more special sciences are included. 



In the preparation of this course I have had in mind the 

 needs of the great majority of college students, who may 

 hardly spend more than a year in this subject. Certainly 

 no other subject touches their lives at so many important 

 points. What will best serve their needs ? has been the ques- 

 tion constantly before me; not, What has been taught 

 hitherto? Ecological and evolutionary phenomena are 

 just as available for practical studies as are morphological 

 types, and I have introduced them freely, although not 

 without pangs of regret for the good things of former courses 

 that had to be omitted to make room. I have reduced to 

 a minimum the directions for the laboratory study of 

 morphological types, for excellent outlines are everywhere 

 available for work of this sort; and I have given a larger 

 place to outlines for field work and experimental studies. I 

 have arranged the subject-matter to suit the seasons of the 

 college year. I have included more than a year's work in 

 order that selections might be- made. For pedagogic 

 reasons, I have introduced at the first phenomena of some 

 familiarity, postponing more technical matters. Mere 



