1910.] Analysis of Blumenbach's Classification. 45 



(4) A further correspondence witli the early scheme of Cuvier is appar- 

 ent in the idea that there is some sort of natural transition between certain 

 adjacent orders, e. (/., the Flying Squirrel of the order Glircs is placed first, 

 in order to bring it next to the Ciiiroptera; the opossum (Didclphis) of 

 the group "^lurina" stands next to "Jacvhis" (the Kangaroo) of the 

 group "Leporina"; "Viirrm," the last of the "Mustelina," stands next to 

 ''Ursiis" of the order "Ferfe"; ''Sus" of the "Bisulca" leads to " Tapir" 

 of the "Belluaj"; while the water-loving "Hippopotamus" leads to the am- 

 phibious "Palmata"; and of these in turn " Manatus" furnishes the desired 

 transition to the Cetacea "Letzterer macht von hier den schicklichsten 

 Uebergang zur letzten Ordnruig (Cetacea)." (Handb. d. Naturg., 12th 

 German ed., 1S30.) 



Additional features of this classification are: 



(1) The correct placing of " Sus" with the cloven footed mammals 

 ("Bisulca"), as in Klein's system. (2) The association of "Tapir," 

 " ElepJias," " Rhinoceros" and " Hi ppopofanius" undev " Belliio'," equiva- 

 lent to Storr's "Multungula" and Cuvier's "Pachydermes". 



The work is embellished with excellent figures of the skulls of apes, 

 monkeys and lemurs, and must have formed a good introduction to anthro- 

 pology as well as to natural history. 



In brief, Blumenbach's classification of 1779 represents a conservative 

 development of the work of Ray, Klein and Linnaeus. While it breaks up 

 and distributes some of Linne's more unnatural groups ("Bruta," "Bestite^') 

 it does not escape from forming new unnatural ones ("Sclerodermata," 

 "Palmata"), and it does not get below superficial criteria or enunciate any 

 great new principles. Blumenbach's classification thus furnishes a transi- 

 tional stage leading from the Linnaean to the Cuvierian system. 



Blumenbach's Classification of 1779. 



Homo. 



Simla troglodytes, S. satyrus, S. lougimana [Gibbon], 

 S. cynomolgus, S. sylvanus [and other primates in- 

 cluding the Lemurs]. 



Ignavus (Faulthier), Myrmecophaga. 



Hystrlx, Manis, Tatu. 



Vespertlllo. 



Sclurus volans, S. vulgaris, Gils. 



Marmota (alplna, crlcetus, cltellus, lemmus), Mus, 



Sorex, Talpa, Dldelphis. 

 Jaculus (glganteus [Macropus], jerboa), Lepus, Cavla 



(porcellus, aguti, paca). 

 d) Mustelina. Mustela, Vlverra (Including numerous Viverrines and 



Lotor [Procyon]). 



