CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS, 105 
CLASSIFICATION OF ANIMALS. 
The student ought to make himself thoroughly familiar with the 
primary Divisions of the animal kingdom and their distinctive characters, 
They are sometimes called sUB-KINGDOMS, and some of them are divided 
into sections, as Fishes into Osseous and Cartilaginous. ‘They are all 
divided into classes, and these again into orders; which are further divided 
into families, and these into genera. A genus sometimes contains only 
one species, when it differs so much from all others as to require such a 
separate place ; but some genera contain a great number of species, nearly 
resembling each other. A species consists of those individuals which are 
derived, or may be supposed to be derived, from a common parentage. A 
species is designated by the name of its genus with another word added—- 
sometimes a name derived from the country which it inhabits, or from 
the name of its discoverer, often a Latin adjective, and sometimes indica- 
tive of some of its most marked characters. Thus the robin redbreast is 
Sylvia rubecola ; Sylvia being a genus that includes many similar birds, 
and belonging to a family called Sylviada, which contains many genera, 
all of small birds, such as those known by the name of warblers, and 
amongst which are our finest song-birds. The relations of the terms 
Division, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species ought to be carefully 
observed and remembered. 
We give the following as specimens of the classification of animals, 
selecting well-known species : 
THE Ox. THE COMMON LAND-TORTOISE. 
Species ............. Bos taurus. SHPO RIEN oo ascetic Testudo Greeca. 
AGCTNUS Sees scuck ooseee Bos. ROTUMBS. So cly ccs vks Testudo. 
aT cot -4.....08 Bovide. Mamily ys 5.5... és08 Testudinide. 
rails Ruminantia. Gis ey ere Chelonia. 
3 sop ae Mammalia. Classy. sy.) 5.2% Reptilia (Reptiles). 
Division..=...... Vertebrata. DIVISION As. cose Vertebrata. 
THE ROBIN REDBREAST. THE CoMMON Froc. 
Species............. Sylvia rubecola. Species.........:... Rana temporaria. 
Genus..........0.000 Sylvia. Oe Cr Rana. 
PPARILY,, «<9 asiesend Sylviade. PIL ot 32 Ranide. 
J Insessores. Rrder oN. Batrachia. 
RMN ccc. inca the Aves (Birds). i ee Amphibia. 
Division............ Vertebrata. Division......... ».. Vertebrata. 
