82 Bulletin Amerian Museum of Natured History, [^^ol. XXVII, 



DE BLAINVILLE, 1834. 



The classification used by de Blainville in his lecture course of 1834 

 (quoted by Gervais in the 'Dictionnaire pittoresque d'Histoire Naturelle/ 

 Tome IV, 1836, p. 619) is on the whole, far superior to any hitherto met 

 with. As compared with the classification of 1816 (p. 74) it offers the fol- 

 lowing noteworthy features : 



(1) The ]\Ionotremes are now definitely separated from the Marsupials 

 and raised to the rank of a subclass, "les Ornithodelphes," so that the com- 

 pleted arrangement is as follows : 



I. "Les Ornithodelphes," [Monotremes]. 



II. "Les Didelphes," [Marsupials]. 



III. "Les Monodelphes" [Placentals]. 



(2) The principle of parallelism, /. e , of the existence of analogous 

 members in different orders, is clearly recognized in the subdivisions of the 

 orders into groups adapted either "pour le vol," "pour nager," "pour 

 grimper," "pour sauter," or "pour fouir"; and "teleo logical" adaptations 

 in the limbs are subordinated to the deeper seated "encephalic" characters 

 and to the totality of resemblances and differences. 



(3) The arrangement of "les Carnassiers" is greatly improved, the 

 Bats and Insectivores being set off in a grand division "clavicules," con- 

 trasted with the Fissiped and Pinniped carnivora, or "non-clavicules. 



(4) The presumed connection between Edentates and Cetacea is again 

 affirmed. New evidence for this connection has been adduced recently by 

 Beddard (1902). 



(5) The Rodents are very well grouped, the divisions of Waterhouse 

 and of Brandt being distinctly foreshadowed. 



(6) The Sirenia are now definitely associated with the elephants, as the 

 aquatic representatives of the "ordre Gravigrades." This connection is 

 supported by much modern evidence (see p. 407). 



(7) The classification of "les Ongulogrades," which is based on an 

 analysis of the skull and skeleton, but in which the divisions are named from 

 the number of digits, is practically in its modern form. 



(8) The Marsupials, on the basis of foot structure, are divided into 

 two "degres," virtually corresponding with the Diadactyla and Syndactyla 

 of later authors. The second " degre " is also well divided. 



De Blainville's Classification of 1834- 

 Sous-classe I. Monodelphes. 

 I. Quadrumanes. 

 r ■ j rapprochees .... Pithed [Catarrhinse]. 



Normaux, < [ eloignees Neopitheci [Platyrrhinse]. 



I Pseudopitheci [Lemuroidea]. 



