:n"atijral history of organized bodies. 



Froii the Course of Lectures of M. Marey at the College of France. 



Translated by C. A. Alexander /or the Smithsonian Institution. 



I. — Historical evolution of the sciences. 



The course of instruction in tlie College of France is not limited to a simple 

 exposition of the state of science at each epoch, but, as a school of discovery, 

 extends its views to the actual tendencies of the human mind. It aims to sig- 

 nalize the new horizons which are opening for science, and which hold out to us 

 the promise of further acquisitions. In order, however, to judge of the direction 

 to be pursued, it is necessary, from time to time, to cast our glance backward, 

 to consider the space which has been traversed, to recall the windings, the haz- 

 ards, the difficulties of the route. Such a recurrence to the past is one of the 

 most useful preparations for a new departure, and will enable ns to attain our 

 end much more promptly and certainly than it was possible for our predecessors 

 to do. It is b}^ availing ourselves of their experience that the march of improve- 

 ment has been constantly accelerated, until, in our day, more discoveries are pro- 

 duced in ten years than formerly in an age. 



The history of the natural sciences has, not long since, been retraced in this 

 chair by the professor whom I have the honor of replacing. M. Flourcns here 

 passed in review the life and labors of the learned naturalists of the XVIth, 

 XVIIth, XVIIIth, and XlXth centuries, having devoted to this subject several 

 years of his instruction. I shall not undertahe to unfold anew this historic 

 tablet, however instructive may be its lessons. Permit me merely to retrace, 

 with a rapid glance, the principal phases of the evolution of science. We shall 

 thus see more clearly the tendency of scientific inquiry and the direction in 

 W'hich we should look for its further advancement. 



The natural history of organized beings comprises zoology and botany. If 

 we open the most ancient treatises on these sulitjccts, Ave perceive that the engross- 

 ing occupation was to make an enumeration of the objects of nature. Science 

 might be said to have been then engaged in taking possession of its domain ; 

 in making the inventory of its treasures. Each object received a name which 

 might distinguish it, b}' recalling, as far as possible, its exterior characters. The 

 " embarrassment of riches"' soon gave rise to the necessity of a methodical 

 aiTangement. The first step was to separate animals from plants, and thus 

 were formed the two great Mngdoms of the natural world. Afterwards, in each 

 kingdom, were created new divisions; first, branches, each of which was dis- 

 tributed into classes, and these again, by successive divisions, into ord-ers, families, 

 tribes, genera, and species. To be useful, these classifications should combine in the 

 same group the beings analogous to one another, so that, by knowing to what fam- 

 ily an animal or a plant belongs, a preliminary idea may be formed of its principal 

 characters. It is for the attainment of this end that classifications have been so 

 often modified, tending constantly to become more naturcd — that is to say, to 



* Revue des Cours Scientijiques de la France et de Vetranger, March, 1867. 



