The Washington herald., 1911-02-19
FRENCH SCIENTIST
DISCUSSES LIFE
ON THE PLANETS

Whether life as human earth dwellers
| conceive it exists on the planets is
question on which many eminent astrono-
rners have pronounced various opinions
| Now comes a noted zooIogist. Prof. Ed
mond Perrier, member of the French
Academy Of Sciences and director of the
Physical Institute in Paris, who answers
in distinct affirmative.
In an article contributed to La Revue
Prof. Perrier deals with the question on
a strictly scientific basis, although he is
led to rather fanciful conclusions Taking
into account the physical conditions which
rule the more remote planets of the solar
system. Prof. Perrier thinks that life as
We understand it cannot exist on them Sc
Mercury, too. with its mean temperature
of 193 degrees, he considers equally un-
likely as a habitation of living things,
whether animal or vegetable. In the case
Of Venus and Mars, Prof. Perrier reasons
that conditions of gravity, light and COM
position of matter exist which do not eS-
SentialIy differ from those of this earth
The writer assumes that on both planets
there is or has been water, and that it
rains or SHOWS exactly as 1t does here,
from which he concludes that at all
events lower grade plants and animals,
such as algae, fungi. and certain forms OF
insect life must exist there. AS regards
Venus, its specific gravity is but little
less than the earth's and its aXial inclina-
ton to its orbit is somewhat sleeper than
the earths, so that despite the shorter
Venus year of pa days the difference in
seasons is not very marked. This, Prof
Perrier argues, is favorable to the exist
ence of long-lived insects with slow de-
velopment, such as beetles, Iocusts, and
the like.
The mean temperature of Venus being
higher than ours, there would be more
water vapor. which would make possible
the growth of ferns and similar plants OF
our carbon period. In the temperate
zones of Venus these animals may have
multiplied exceedingly.
No Life on Venus.
Prof Perrier thinks there are no birds,
mammals or human beings on Venus
AS Venus has no moon. it's nights are
exceedingly dark. and he does not think
any night animals exist there.
Entirely different is the picture the
French savant presents of life on Mars,
which is further away from the sun than
either Venus or the earth. The axial in
clination of Mars is lower; its seasons
are sharply divided, and the difference
between day and night is greater. Winter
on Mars is very cold. and summer very
hot; its northern hemisphere is warmer,
having a longer summer than its southern
half
While Venus offers favorable conditions
for creatures with little develOpemnt.
Mars is the planet for warm-blooded ami
mails, better able to withstand extremes Of
Mars, Prof. Perrier says,
is the planet OF mammals and birds.
Owing to the lesser gravity. jumping and
running animals would predOminate. The
difference in the seasons would produce
qUick-living creatures which complete
their life in one season, such as butter
flies. whose metamorphosis enables them
to exist through different seasons.
Flowers May Grow on Mars.
On Mars Towering plants would grow in
abundance. and Martian flora and fauna
may resemble those of the temperate and
polar regions of the earth. The greater
length Of the Martian year, Cos days, with
a proportionately longer summer, would
favor living creatures and plants produc-
ing one generation to a summer. Prof.
Perrier imaSines intense growth and re-
production, immensely tall grasses, huge
fruits, gigantic insects.
Life being a greater struggle there, the
writer is led to assume high plane of in
-elIigence in Marian insect life. This
nay consist chiefly, he hazards, of crea-
.ures of the ant or termite species. Mars,
le thinks, would have no massive NAM
nails such as the elephant or the hippo
ootamus, but rather animals of slender
,uiId and ffeet-fOoted, such as the ga
;eIle. or maybe certain forms of apes.
Ie further thinks it possible that from
he latter creatures of higher intelligence
nay have sprung or may yet spring
,einGs with an upright gait and not
ecessarily disSimilar to the human earth
weller.