JoLY — The Abundance of Life. 69 



its law in the two methods of meeting the environment, the male 

 method and the female method. 



Consistently with this, multitudinous spermatozoa and few 

 ova are a general condition of sexual reproduction throughout 

 nature. And, lastly, we see in the broad fact that the rate of 

 reproduction is in a geometrical progression — except when curbed 

 by the failure of supplies or external constraints — the most evident 

 manifestation of the law of accelerated activity. 



Evolution and Acceleration of Activity, 



The primary factor in evolution is the " struggle for existence." 

 This involves a "natural selection" among the many variations of 

 the organism. If we seek the underlying causes of the struggle, 

 we find that necessity for food and (in a lesser degree) the desire 

 for a mate are the principal causes of contention. The former is 

 much the more important factor, and, accordingly, we find the 

 greater degree of specialisation based upon it. 



The present view assumes a dynamic necessity for its demands, 

 involved in the nature of the organism as such. This assumption 

 is based on observation of the outcome of its unconstrained growth, 

 reproduction, and life-acts. We have the same right to assert this 

 of the organism as we have to' assert that retardation and degra- 

 dation attend the actions of inanimate machines, which asser- 

 tion, also, is based on observation of results. Thus we pass from 

 the superficial statements that organisms require food in order to 

 live, or that organisms desire food, to the more fundamental one 

 that : — 



The organism is a confignration of matter ivhich absorbs energy 

 acceleratively, xdthout limit, ivhen unconstrained. 



This is a dynamic basis for a " struggle for existence." The 

 organism being a material system responding to accession of energy 

 with fresh demands, and energy being limited in amount, the 

 struggle follows as a necessity. Thus, evolution guiding the steps 

 of the energy- seeking organism, must pre-suppose and find its 

 origin in that inherent property of the organism which determines 

 its attitude in presence of available energy. 



