66 Lamarck’s Genera of Shells. 
mit them to an accurate examination, still the pleasure of 
arrangement and consequently the diffusion of the science, 
must be very partial, as it would necessarily be confined to 
skilful anatomists and profound philosophers. 
“ Our knowledge of the animals being so extremely limited 
at present, and being likely to remain so, it becomes necessary . 
to resign all hopes of a zoological arrangement similar to that of 
the other classes of the kingdom of nature*.” 
Had the Histoire Naturelle des Animaux sans Vertébres, by 
the Chevalier De Lamarck, been advanced to its present state, 
when the preceding passage was written, we think its author 
would not have despaired ‘“ of a zoological arrangement” (in 
the department of conchology) “ similar to that of the other 
classes of the kingdom of nature ;”’ and as to the remark, that 
by its adoption the diffusion of the science would be lessened, 
because the pleasure of arrangement would be so, we think 
the exact contrary would ensue. The gratification of the 
scientific naturalist must be enhanced by it, whatever effect it 
may have on the mere collector of costly and splendid specimens. 
Lamarck’s work is a substantial proof that no such despair 
need have been entertained. We will say more—it is an ef- 
fective, though perhaps not perfect, execution of that theoretical 
plan, whose justice Mr. Burrow acknowledges. We have ac- 
cordingly given it the preferencet. 
It is much to be regretted, that the Hist. Nat. des An. sans 
Vert. should still be incomplete. The deplorable event which, 
temporarily we hope, has deprived its author of his sight, ‘has 
occasioned a sad gap in the latter part of the subject, and left 
more than two-thirds of the genera of the univalve shells un- 
described. Time, we trust, will restore to him the blessings 
of light, and that we shall ere long again reap the benefit of 
his acute and accurate observations. In the interim, we shall 
endeavour to supply the deficiency from the best sources within 
our reach. 
x Burrow’s Elements of Conchology. 1815. P. 3. 
+ The collection of shells in the British Museum is now arranged ac- 
cording to Lamarck’s system. 
