Illustrations of Nature, 397 



stages of intelligence, &c. have been the indices, still certain 

 familiar groups have generally remained inviolate ; and pro- 

 bably they are familiar purely because they are natural. 



These familiar classes would appear to be nine in number, 

 perhaps reducible to three more general groups, which may 

 form the regions of the animal reign.- — (vide col. 4 and 5.) 

 1. Beasts {BesticBf mammalia). 2. Birds {Aves). 3. Rep- 

 tiles (Jieptilia), These three classes may form the first 

 region, pulmonata, intra-spirantia, or lung-breathing animals. 

 4. Fish {Pisces). 5. Fish allies (Mollusca). 6. Shell-fish 

 (Crustacea). These three classes would seem to associate so 

 as to form the second region, branchiata, medio-spirantia 

 or gill-breathing animals. 7. Insects [Insecta). 8. Worms 

 {Vermes). 9. Plant allies, zoophytes, (Phytoides, Zoo- 

 phyta). These three classes will form the third region, 

 spiraculata, extra-spirantia or skin-breathing animals. 



But although these classes are decidedly natural, and the 

 regions, perhaps, not otherwise, still they have many points of 

 connexion, and these not in any regular series of ascent or de- 

 scent, but blending with, and, as it were, partially containing 

 each other. To insist at length on these curious inter-alliances 

 time will not allow ; diagrams 2 and 3, will indicate a few. 

 The pulmonata, or lung-breathers, are placed in that part of 

 the circle of animals which intersects the human, thus indica- 

 ting, that in structure and high development of sense, &c., 

 some of them approach much nearer to man than do any of the 

 branchiata, or spiraculata, as shown by their situation without 

 the rational circle. The spiraculata, on the other hand, enter 

 the vegetable reign ; thus establishing the connexion between 

 some of the polypes and the tremellae, i. e., of the zoophytes 

 with the azotic plants. The branchiata hold a middle rank. 

 In the development of these regions, three classes present 

 themselves in each — vide diagram 3 of the pulmonata. Rep- 

 tiles being cold-blooded are consequently placed in that part 

 of the circle which is contained in the cold-blooded regions ; 

 and some of them, as frogs, breathing at one time by gills, are 

 thus naturally placed near the branchiata to which they are 

 allied. Of beasts, the bat tribes may approach the birds, and 

 the pinnipedata), (seals, whales, &c.) the fish; The birds, 



iffRIL— JULY, 1828. 2 D 



