11 



illustrations, form no mean item in this year's acquisi- 

 tions; many of these, it will be observed, have been 

 purchased by the Society for a trifling amount. Though 

 fully aware of the necessity for observing the strictest 

 economy, as regards purchases, from the limited state 

 of the funds ; yet it is also necessary to bear in mind 

 the fact, that in order to render the Museum of this 

 Society instructive as well as interesting, it is impera- 

 tive to secure such Specimens of value as may be 

 offered at a moderate price, and which if allowed to 

 pass may very possibly not occur again for a long time. 

 The study of Comparative Anatomy is now becoming 

 very general, and its importance fully acknowledge as 

 the ground-work for a thorough acquaintance with the 

 various grades of animal existence, or at least the or- 

 ganization of the different groups; by which we are 

 enabled not only to understand their affinities and 

 analogies, but also to discover the line of specific de- 

 markation, as traced by the hand of nature, and so 

 ably exemplified by the labours of Cuvier, OweUy 

 Bucklandy and others. These labours have given to 

 the investigations of the Zoologist an almost mathe- 

 matical precision, and aided to an extent which no 

 other source could, our knowledge not only of the 

 relative connexion and situation of recent forms, but 

 still more those of ages long past away. The only 

 evidence of the existence of these creatures is to 

 be seen in the solid framework of their bodies, or oc^ 



