84 



THE BEGINNINGS , OF ^ LIFE. 



^*"->-* *'i*f - . L 



- t H 



-^K- 



Matter and Mot 



^^H ^^k ^^ ^b ^ ■ 



constitpte Evolution, structural and functional, impfy 



motions 



:aseous 



ement 



f// 



a 



. • the r^' 

 ike 11^ ^' 



ooless fluorine 

 s the gre 



calling 



to mi 



ind 



ftiien 



analyzm 



(7 



see a probable meaning in the fact that organic bodies 

 which exhibit the phenomena of Evolution in so high 

 a degree^ are mainly composed of ultimate units havina 

 extreme mobility/ When such mobile units enter 

 into various combinations^ this initial property thouo-h 

 masked is still potentially present, and must have its 

 influence upon the rnolecular mobility of the com- 

 pounds into v^hich they enter. Hence Mr. Spencer 

 adds, ^ We may infer some relation between the 

 form of three out of the four chief organic elements, I an incident fori 



the pro 



bable sig 



be seen 



. It was 



r 



things eq 



parated by inci 



and that comparative readiness to undergo those changes I , . 



^ ° b I 1 Hence its compi 



F 



k well to note, ash; 



and those transformations of motion which we call I tenstic of most nitn 

 function One more, fact that is here of ^reat I f'^^^\*^^^^^^ 



« to the presence 

 fram the readiness 

 potash yields up the 

 »tton, which also c( 



"*-• Thevariou 

 ""^'^ °f a certain 

 ;>*We that it can, 



interest for us must be set down. These four elements 



L 



of which organisms are almost wholly composed, pre- 

 sent us v/ith certain extreme antitheses. While be- 

 tween two of them we have an unsurpassed cgntrast 

 in chemical activity • between one of them and the 

 other three we have an unsurpassed contrast in mole- j ji,2„T_^^ °^ »'t 

 cular mobility. While carbon by successfully resisting 

 fusion and volatilization at the highest temperatures 

 that can be produced, shows us a degree of atomic 

 cohesion greater than that of any other known element, 



m _ 



the succeeding chapters of Mr. Spencer's work should be read by all 

 who wish fully to understand this part of the subject. 



y ^^'°^ates 

 '*tause, p„,. 





h in „ 



" ^ organic 





f 



