So long as animate life was in the lowest sense animal, it would not be seen at all, though it were as widespread as the vegetal life all about it. Reason for this lies in their receptive character. Plants are fixtures; where they start they stay; while from the nature of their food, derived directly from the soil and from the air, and conditioned chiefly by warmth and moisture, like forms inhabit large areas and by their massed effect make far impression. With animals it is otherwise. They feed by forage, from beetle to buffalo, roaming the land for sustenance. Thus, both for paucity of number and from not abiding in one stay they must escape notice at a distance such that as individuals they fail to show; to say nothing of the fact that the flora usually overtop the fauna, and so help to hide the latter while appearing itself distinct. Any far view of our earth gives instance of this. Seen from some panoramic height, forest and moorland lie patently outspread to view, yet imagination is taxed to believe them tenanted at all. Unless man have marred the landscape not a sign appears of any living thing. One must be near indeed to note even such unusual sights as a herd of buffalo in the plains or those immense flights of pigeons, that in former years occurred like clouds darkening the air. From the standpoint of another planet, through any such direct showing animal existence would still remain unknown. Not until the creatures had reached a certain phase in evolution would their presence become perceptible; and not then directly, but by the results such presence brought to pass. Occupancy would be first evidenced by its imprint on the land; discernible thus initially not so much by the bodily as by the mind’s eye. For not till the animal had learnt to dominate nature and fashion it to his needs and ends would his existence betray itself. By the transformation he wrought in the landscape would he be known. It is thus we should make our own far acquaintance; and by the disarrangement of nature first have inkling of man.