Workmen's advocate., 1890-11-22

stance with two species of swallows in the United States, with two species of mssel thrushes in parts of Scotland, of rats under the most different climates, of cockroaches in Russia, of bees in Australia, etc. The respective species do not carry on a direct strife against each other. but their active struggle for life in procuring the means of sub sistence and in defending themselves against the powers of inorganic nature and the attacks of organic beings i'm. plies a mere indirect and passive com petition between them of the same kind as 1t is taking place among the members belonging to one species.
 When one goes into virgin forest or a prairie, he will nearly all over find the most distinct species, genera, families, orders and classes of organic beings mingled in motley groups; since such a state is the necessary consequence Of the fact that they depend upon each other for their existence, But even with the social animals living there-as for i'll, stance the immense tlocks of wild pigeons or the large herds of butfaloes- an active strife or competition of the individuals among themselves IS not seen.
 It will often occur that at certain times or in certain regions organic beings sui fer from want of food. When, for eX ample, in summer long lasting lack Of rain has caused drought and barrenness, plants of all kinds decline and perish. Then. only those individuals will survive l.. t,I q ln,,n1t anI lnanpGt roots and are the most densely covered with moisture imbibing hairs, or whose habitat is at shady and low spots, near a well or brook. Under such clrcumstan- Ces one correctly may speak of strug gle between organic beings and mor- ganic nature, but not of active cOmpetl' tion or strife going on between members of the same species.
 Likewise, in a severe winter, when land and water are snow and Ice bound during many weeks, one hardly ever sees sparrows fighting each other about a Crumb of bread or hares about the bark of tree. In this case also, only those animals will save themselves, whose bodies are vigorous and strong enough to withstand the harmful in. uutllCp Ol uIlSultdUle anu utIClcIt lOou until the bad time has passed. All others must succumb to the cold, or, being from debility incapacitated to defend them selves or escape, fall an easy victim to their natural enemies, the beasts and birds of prey.
 From the facts stated here and from the conclusions which can safely be based upon them, it is evident:
 That the struggle for existence Is not an active strife or competition be- tween the individual members of one variety, species, genus etc, about the means of subsistence;
 2-That the real and only struggle for existence which all organic beings ne- cessarily have to carry on, consists in three-fold activity, namely in their struggle to obtain food; their struggle against the powers of inorganic nature, as soil, cline, light, temperature, weather etc., and their struggle against hostile species
 3-That the three forms of this acti- vity are not independent of, but lnti- mately connected with each other; and
 4-That they represent in the vegetable and animal world what among mankind is generally called labor, or more detini- tely, bodily and mental labor.