PKOGRESS OF ICHTHYOLOGY. i!9 



siological sciences, which has appeared to us to be the general tendency 

 of real knowledge. It seems difficult to understand how a reference to 

 such relations as those which are offered as examples of analogy 14 can 

 be otherwise than a retrograde step in science. 



AYithout, however, now dwelling upon these points, I will treat a 

 little more in detail of one of the branches of Zoology. 



[2nd Ed.] [For the more recent progress of Systematic Zoology, see 

 in the Reports of the British Association, in 1834, Mr. L. Jenyns's 

 Report on the Recent Progress and Present State of Zoology, and in 

 1844, Mr. Strickland's Report on the Recent Progress and Present 

 State of Ornithology. In these Reports, the questions of the Circular 

 Arrangement, the Quinary System, and the relation of Analogy and 

 \ffinity are discussed.] 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE PROGRESS OF ICHTHYOLOGY. 



IF it had been already observed and admitted that sciences of the 

 same kind follow, and must follow, the same course in the order of 

 their development, it would be unnecessary to give a history of any 

 special branch of Systematic Zoology ; since botany has already 

 afforded us a sufficient example of the progress of the classificatory 

 sciences. But we may be excused for introducing a sketch of the 

 advance of one department of zoology, since we are led to the attempt 

 by the peculiar advantage we possess in having a complete history of 

 the subject written with great care, and brought up to the present 

 time, by a naturalist of unequalled talents and knowledge. I speak of 

 Cuvier's Historical Vieio of Ichthyology, which forms the first chapter 

 of his great work on that part of natural history. The place and 

 office in the progress of this science, which is assigned to each person 

 by Cuvier, will probably not be lightly contested. It will, therefore, 

 be no small confirmation of the justice of the. views on whirl) the 



14 For example, the goatsucker has an affinity with the swallow ; but it has 

 an analogy with the bat, because both fly at the same hour of the day, and feed 

 in the same manner. Swainson, Geography and Classification of Animal* 

 p. 129. 



