Ghe Scientific Gugyuirer. 
APRIL, 1888. 
The Round of Life. 
HAT I shall say on the above subject will not 
possess the merit of novelty to students of science, 
especially not to botanists, for the facts have been 
frequently given in better words than I can employ. 
But nearly all that has been heretofore written 
relative to the matter, is only to be found in scientific books 
or periodicals not conveniently accessible to the general reader ; 
hence a few brief reflections on the subject cannot be amiss, 
and may arouse interest concerning some of the by-ways that lead 
into the great thoroughfare of Life and Thought. 
All terrestrial phenomena may be classed under two grand 
divisions: the organic and inorganic. To the first of these 
belong all manifestations of nature which show the presence of 
life, or vital force, and the capability of selfmovement. To the 
second belong those manifestations which evidence the absence of 
life and self-movement. The organic world could not exist with- 
out antecedent life—that is, each living individual, whether plant 
or animal, must have descended from a similar, prior individual ; 
Out the inorganic world is the result of chemical and mechanical 
processes, and its combinations are fortuitous. The organic world 
is again divided into two kingdoms, one of which has been called 
the Vegetable, the other the Animal kingdom. In the higher 
forms of life it is an easy matter to draw a line between them ; 
but as we descend to the lower forms it becomes very difficult to 
distinguish between the two kingdoms. This is especially the 
case with those forms which cannot be perceived by the unaided 
vision and which must be examined by the aid of a microscope. 
But though the distinction between these different phases of 
organic life, in their external relations, is sometimes difficult to 
make out, it is really definite and certain, and can be readily 
resolved if the habits and characteristics of the doubtful organism 
can be determined. ‘The grand and most obvious distinction lies 
Won, 1006 4 
