106 Des Moulins on the genera Unio and Anodonta. 
ques années, aux collecteurs, aux observateurs, aux faiseurs d’es- 
peces méme, pour ne pas les decourager; et pour laisser ainsi 
s’augmenter notablement la masse des matérianx ;” so that, when 
the heap of knowledge shall be thus ‘“ notablement augmentée,” 
some future classifier, endowed perhaps with a Linnean power of 
generalizing, may extinguish the superfluous species, and arrange 
the remainder in exact scientific order. 
Mr. Des Moulins wears his Christian mantle with so much 
grace and courage, that he has even quoted Saint Augustine for 
a profound generalization of the works of God. And perhaps in 
this matter the saint has excelled the savant ; for the latter oflers 
the following exposition of the three kingdoms : 
ineralia crescunt, 
Vegetabilia crescunt et vivunt, 
Animalia crescunt et vivunt et sentiunt ; 
but the former says: 
uedam sunt, i. e. Mineralia ; 
Quedam sunt et vivunt, i. e. Vegetabilia ; 
Quedam sunt, vivunt et sentiunt, i. e. Animalia. 
Mr. Des Moulins seems to be in error in making growth a pred- 
icate of minerals. He applauds Linneeus for having borrowed 
“presque tertuellement & Saint Augustin les trois premiers ter- 
mes de cette magnifique progression dinstitution divine,’ and 
yet himself departs from the Augustinian text by substituting 
crescere for esse ; and as he departs, so far he errs. 
The Linnean scheme is as follows : 
Lapides corpora congesta, nec viva, nec sentientia. 
Vegetabilia corpora organisata et viva, non sentientia. 
Animalia corpora organisata et viva et sentientia, sponteque sé 
moventia. 
Minerals are bodies aggregate, not living nor perceiving. 
Vegetables are bodies organic and living, not perceiving. — 
Animals are bodies, organic, living and perceiving, and moving 
of their own accord. 
The schemes of the two modern philosophers, when compared 
with that of the ancient divine, seem to be deficient in severity 
and precision. 
Young naturalists will find Mr. Des Moulins’ paper an interest 
ing and improving study; and the application of its principles 
need not be restrained to the branch of natural history in discus- 
