148 Natural History of Molluscous Animals : — 



side with an orange-coloured 



one. 



Length to the end of the 



tail, 9 in. 

 Length to the end of the toes, 



10 in. 

 Length of bill, If in. 

 Extent, 14^ in. 

 Weight, 2 oz. 3 dr. 



39 «' - Anat. Char, Cae'^ca (j%-. 39. a a) one 



._ inch and three eighths long. The giz- 

 zard contained small shells, vegetable 

 fibres, and pebbles. 

 It is by such communications as the above, that in my opi- 

 nion your Magazine may be rendered most valuable. 



I am, Sir, &c. H V. D. 



Art. VII. 



Sir, 



The Natural History of Molluscous Animals, 

 Series of Letters. By G. J. 



Letter 2. Indirect Benefits. 



In a 



You may often have heard it observed that living beings 

 form a continuous and uninterrupted chain, 



lessening down 



From Infinite Perfection to the brink 

 Of dreary nothing," 



from which no link can be removed without disordering the 

 uniformity of the whole. If applied, as is usually done, to the 

 external appearances or internal organisation of animals, the 

 comparison is not altogether correct; but none can be more 

 so if it is intended merely as an illustration of their mutual 

 dependence upon one another. This is so close and intimate 

 that we cannot calculate the probable effect of the annihilation 

 of even the most insignificant species. It might involve the 

 destruction of some other immediately dependent on it for the 

 supply of a necessary want; the extermination of this again 

 would be but the precursor of another's death, another still 

 would succeed and ruin would spread around until man him- 

 self fell in its embrace. In this view it may with great pro- 

 priety be said that 



" Each shell, each crawling insect holds a rank 

 Important in the plan of Him, who framed 



