THE EVOLUTION OF CONTINUITY 161 



attraction force which caused the first formation of this 

 globe, and its progressive contraction and solidification : 

 the force, in fact, which caused, we believe, Life itself to 

 originate. This force is Terrestrial Attraction, or Gravity. 



When we realise that owing to terrestrial attraction the 

 electronic Continuity of the atom, the atomic Continuity 

 of the inorganic molecule, and the higher atomic Continuity 

 of the living molecule were successively realised, and that 

 Life, once called into being, had to continue its existence 

 and multiply in presence of the constantly acting force, 

 we can see how the first form of living Continuity would 

 inevitably come to be multiplied again and again. 



All the forms of living Continuity evolved in aqueous 

 environment, and Gravity would act in two main ways as 

 the compressor of developing living systems. 



(1) Directly ; by pulling the system against the earth's 

 surface. 



(2) Indirectly ; in the form of Water-Presstjke. 



The question of relative densities of a living entity and 

 its watery environment would, in the absence of means of 

 locomotion, decide whether the entity sank to the bottom, 

 remained suspended, or floated to the surface, and therefore 

 the degree of water-pressure to which it would be subjected. 

 Did it sink, it would be subjected to direct force of Gravity 

 plus the pressure of overlying and surrounding water, whose 

 weight, apart from the added one of superincumbent atmos- 

 phere, would always be the measure of its attraction to the 

 earth. Naturally, were the entity to move habitually under 

 the water, new pressure factors would appear. 



Now water-pressure varies according to the depth of the 

 water, but at a given depth it is constant, and it is clear that 

 the results of compression obtained at one depth would be 

 more marked at a greater one. One has only to postulate 

 that it is the Individual's development from the zygote 

 which has been compressed, to realise how the progressive 

 multiplication of living Continuity could take place. 



We do not suggest that water-pressure was the only 

 factor at work ; for example, the temperature and salinity 

 of the water, and the food of the developing organism, could 

 all affect the density of its cells ; while light, as a factor 

 pulling away from the earth would enter into the question. 



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