CHAPTER III. 



PROTECTIVE ARRANGEMENTS, 



Origin of the Vegetable Kingdom. — The struggle for existence. 

 — Protection against climate. — Protection against living enemies. — 

 Saving of energy and expenditure of material exhibited in modern 

 modes of protection. 



IT is generaJly admitted that the entire Vegetable King- 

 dom clothing the earth at the present day — as also 

 those groups unsuccessful in the bitter fight for life, and 

 only known to us by their fossil remains — have evolved 

 by a slow series of changes from the Algse or seaweeds, 

 hence the members of this group may be considered as 

 the pioneers of plant life. It is not intended to discuss 

 the various ideas respecting' the origin of life, but — 

 granted life — to indicate the leading modifications that 

 have taken place in the members of the plant world and 

 to which are collectively due the enormous variety of 

 structure presented by plants at the present day. 



Protection in the broader sense, as including all the 

 various arrangements and contrivances for enabling an 

 individual to do a given amount of work in a better 

 manner and with a less expenditure of energy and 

 material than heretofore, appears to be the one aim of 

 every member of the Vegetable Kingdom at the present 

 day. Self-sacrifice and philanthropy are factors not 



