Remarks on Zoological Classification. 415 



means of aeration, nor powers of fasting, nor powers of repro- 

 ducing limbs. An imaginative person would rather say, that 

 animal nature having left him in many points weaker than o- 

 thers, has in pity given him Reason, to preserve his continu- 

 ance in creation ; imagination would also point to the more 

 perfect insect forms higher in the scale of developement, and 

 to their metamorphosis, as shadowing his condition. It must 

 be admitted, that I expected to find Man in the middle of the 

 animal series, and in the middle of his alliance ; it appears 

 however that his dignity is not animal but moral, an immor- 

 tal Being waiting a change of body and form and powers. 



8. I could have wished to avoid the question of a Quinary 

 principle in nature; it is not sought after in the general series, 

 and it is left for others to subdivide the three fundamental sub- 

 races, as they please, by breaking down the two extremities 

 of the Vertebrata into two supplementary divisions, or other- 

 wise working out their favorite principle. In the alliances a 

 quinary plan is adopted for these reasons : — I found a tenden- 

 cy of this nature in the botanical alliances, and adopted it af- 

 ter a prejudice against it ; I have found a similar tendency in 

 Zoology, and have also found it convenient in practice ; from 

 natural causes, or from the industrious leaning of zealous dis- 

 ciples, quinary assemblages have very frequently offered them- 

 selves ready formed. Possibly nature may not have any de- 

 fined law in the relative dignity of these subdivisions, nor any 

 uniform scale of rank, and in such case the leaning to any u- 

 niform system, even artificial, may tend to prevent wide de- 

 viations and inequalities. The alliances were first assembled 

 in groups according to recognized divisions, and have been 

 gradually worked to the present quinary shape, as offering, on 

 the whole, least violence to nature, and as the most conveni- 

 ent artificial plan provisionally. 



9. I cannot refer to Mr. Swainson's families of Birds so free- 

 ly as I have done, without noticing the principle of Represen- 

 tative forms, which he most ingeniously attempts to trace 

 through all zoological nature. If we are justified in conceiv- 

 ing an ideal fundamental form, out of which all animals may 

 be supposed to be constructed by various degrees of develope- 

 ment in the different parts, it is also quite conceivable and 

 not improbable, that five or any other definite number of pri- 

 mary divisions, may arise from the whole force of develope- 

 ment being thrown successively on such five or more funda- 

 mental divisions of the ideal elementary structure. It is also 

 quite conceivable, that each of these primary divisions may 



Vol. II.— No. 20. n. s. q q 



