412 Remarks on Zoological Classification. 



" The fluid was turbid, had an acid saline taste, and a rank 

 disagreeable odour. After standing for twenty-four hours, it 

 deposited a whitish curdy sediment, and became clear and 

 transparent. The clear fluid, amounting to 54m. ? was poured 

 from the sediment, and was subjected to various tests. It 

 was neither acid nor alkaline ; it produced a very copious 

 precipitate with the nitrate of silver, indicating the presence 

 of a large proportion of muriatic acid; the muriate of barytes 

 indicated a slight trace of sulphuric acid, while the appro- 

 priate tests of lime, magnesia, and iodine, produced no effect. 

 A portion of the fluid was evaporated by a gentle heat, when 

 a quantity of crystals of the muriate of soda was obtained, 

 amounting in weight to very nearly twenty per cent, of the 

 fluid. After the removal of the crystals, a little brown mat- 

 ter was left in the capsule, but in too minute a quantity to en- 

 able me to ascertain its nature and properties, except that it 

 was not soluble in alcohol ; we may, however, presume that 

 it gave the fluid its peculiar flavour and odour. 



" It appears therefore that the fluid in question consisted 

 almost entirely of a solution of pure muriate of soda, differing 

 therefore, in its chemical constitution, from sea water. 



" The sediment mentioned above I returned to Mr. Owen ; 

 it appeared to consist of small globular or rather pyriform 

 bodies, probably of an organic origin." 



Art. III. Remarks on Zoological Classification. By Sir Edward 

 Ff. Bromhead, Bt„ F.R.S. L. & E. 



1. The results obtained in an attempt to arrange the Botanical 

 families in Alliances, and those alliances in natural sequence, 

 without any preconceived views of dignity in structure, or any 

 effort to crowd together families supposed by many to be re- 

 lated, have induced me to adopt the same principles in at- 

 tempting to arrange the Zoological families. 



2. It has not been presumed, that the most striking form 

 would begin a series of structures ; naturalists have usually 

 opened with Man, the Lion, the Whale, the Eagle, the Croco- 

 dile, the Elephant, the Carnivorous Coleoptera or the Scorpi- 

 on, though it is quite obvious that such marked forms must be 

 gradually approached and receded from, if we expect the 

 group to connect with any other series. Hence instead of a 

 forced subordination of the contents of each group under its 

 most striking and full dev elopement, we should rather attempt 



