512 



ISLAND LIFE. 



[part II. 



of the earth, but such apparently unimportant facts as the 

 presence of certain types of plants or animals in one island 

 rather than in another, are now shown to be dependent on the 

 long series of past geological changes — on those marvellous 

 astronomical revolutions which cause a periodic variation of 

 terrestrial climates — on the apparently fortuitous action of 

 storms and currents in the conveyance of germs — and on the 

 endlessly varied actions and reactions of organised beings on 

 each other. And although these various causes are far too 

 complex in their combined action to enable us to follow them 

 out in . the case of any one species, yet their broad results are 

 clearly recognisable ; and we are thus encouraged to study more 

 completely ever}^ detail and every anomaly in the distribution 

 of living things, in the firm conviction that by so doing we shall 

 obtain a fuller and clearer insight into the course of nature, and 

 with increased confidence that the mighty maze " of Being 

 we see everywhere around us is not without a plan." 



