NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 117 



Mar character in the nervous system and its sphere of functions, embracing all 

 the operations and relations of the senses and of the muscular system, super- 

 added to the organs and the functions of the two preceding groups. The pos- 

 session of organs for Nutrition and Reproduction, Circulation and Respiration, 

 and for Sentiency, Voluntary motion, and all other functions and relations of the 

 Nervous System, characterizes the great kingdom Animalia, Its specializa- 

 tions is the possession of and the high development of the Nervous System. 



In imitation of the Liunaean formula these three kingdoms may be charac- 

 terized as follows : 

 Animalia, corpora organisita, generantia, spirantia et sentientia. 

 Vegetabilia, corpora organisita, generantia, spirantia, non sentientia, 

 Primalia, corpora organisita, generantia, non spirantia, nee sentientia. 

 As above intimated, the difficulty in the hitherto attempted definitions and 

 in the systematic arrangement of the kingdoms Animalia and Vegetabilia, on 

 the antecedent supposition that these two kingdoms ought to include all or- 

 ganisms that now exist, or have ever existed, has arisen from the impossibility 

 of incorporating indisputably into either, many of those belonging to our 

 third kingdom, Primalia. It is composed of orders and classes of existences, 

 of which some have been very generally assigned to the Animal, and others 

 to the Vegetable kingdom ; and others again which have been variously and 

 doubtfully regarded as belonging to one or the other. All organisms included 

 in this kingdom are of cellular structure only, and possess the functions of 

 Nutrition and Reproduction, as above defined, and no other; and all the groups 

 properly of this kingdom are, in our opinion, readily demonstrable, as having 

 a greater degree of relationship to each other than to any groups whatever 

 in the other two kingdoms. This circumstance is held, very properly, as of 

 the first importance in all classifications. With this first, but quite inde- 

 pendent great group recognized and understood, there is, very probably, no 

 difficulty whatever in readily defining not only the three great groups of or- 

 ganized beings, existing in Nature, but all subordinate groups belonging to 

 either. We regard our third group as a Kingdom, and of the same rank or 

 grade in classification as the two great groups which are universally admitted 

 by naturalists under that designation. 



It is now a matter of common information to men of science that all organ- 

 ized existences are composed of, and resolvable ultimately, by anatomical and 

 microscopical analysis, into cells, and that the cellular structure prevails as a 

 primary form or basis of organization alike in the most simple and in the 

 most complicated organisms. Those cells seem to be the very first forms of 

 organization and life, and possess a singularly independent vitality and 

 power of increase or reproduction, whether isolated, or nearly so, or existing 

 in any amount or form of aggregation in the higher vegetables or animals. 

 They seem to be even capable of assuming, or re-assuming, individual and inde- 

 pendent existence after having been previously and originally merged or ag- 

 gregated in the vascular structure of the two higher kingdoms, Vegetabilia 

 and Animalia, as well as in the lower non-vascular kingdom, Primalia. This 

 seems to be the case in what are termed animal and vegetable infusions. 



The organisms constituting the kingdom Primalia are essentially to be re- 

 garded as aggregations of cells entirely capable of nutrition and propagation, 

 or increase, but without any part of their structure being traceable as vascu- 

 lar in any degree. These organisms are the primary forms of life and organ- 

 ization, and have not the distinctive characters or "super-additions," as termed 

 by Professor Owen, of London, of either plants or animals. " When a certain 

 number of characters concur in tLe same organism," says that learned gen- 

 tleman, " its title to be regarded as a ' plant,' or an ' animal,' may be readily 

 and indubitably recognized ; but there are very numerous living beings, es- 

 pecially those that retain the form of nucleated cells, which manifest the 

 common organic characters, but without the distinctive superadditions of either 



1863.] 



