3

I. THE ROMANCE OF THE HEAVENS 7

The scale of the universe--The solar system--Regions of
the sun--The surface of the sun--Measuring the speed of
light--Is the sun dying?--The planets--Venus--Is there
life on Mars?--Jupiter and Saturn--The moon--The
mountains of the moon--Meteors and comets--Millions of
meteorites--A great comet--The stellar universe--The
evolution of stars--The age of stars--The nebular
theory--Spiral nebulae--The birth and death of
stars--The shape of our universe--Astronomical
instruments.

II. THE STORY OF EVOLUTION 53

The beginning of the earth--Making a home for life--The
first living creatures--The first plants--The first
animals--Beginnings of bodies--Evolution of
sex--Beginning of natural death--Procession of life
through the ages--Evolution of land animals--The flying
dragons--The first known bird--Evidences of
evolution--Factors in evolution.

III. ADAPTATIONS TO ENVIRONMENT 113

The shore of the sea--The open sea--The deep sea--The
fresh waters--The dry land--The air.

IV. THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE 135

Animal and bird mimicry and disguise--Other kinds of
elusiveness.

V. THE ASCENT OF MAN 153

Anatomical proof of man's relationship with a Simian
stock--Physiological proof--Embryological proof--Man's
pedigree--Man's arboreal apprenticeship--Tentative
men--Primitive men--Races of mankind--Steps in human
evolution--Factors in human progress.

VI. EVOLUTION GOING ON 183

Evolutionary prospect for man--The fountain of change;
variability--Evolution of plants--Romance of
wheat--Changes in animal life--Story of the
salmon--Forming new habits--Experiments in locomotion;
new devices.

VII. THE DAWN OF MIND 205

A caution in regard to instinct--A useful law--Senses of
fishes--The mind of a minnow--The mind and senses of
amphibians--The reptilian mind--Mind in
birds--Intelligence co-operating with instinct--The
mind of the mammal--Instinctive aptitudes--Power of
association--Why is there not more intelligence?--The
mi