BARON CUVIBR. 315 



has endowed the surface of the planet with power to 

 bring forth." 



In the classification of animals it was a rule of 

 Cuvier that the skeleton alone need be consulted to 

 ascertain the peculiarities of an animal. He declared 

 that he could as easily point out the difference be- 

 tween the teeth and vertebrae of the dog and the w T olf, 

 as he could that which exists between the fox and 

 the jackal, but w r hen put to test by a contemporary of 

 his, the distinction could not be made. At present, 

 in the determination of species, more importance is 

 placed upon features or external appearances than 

 upon anatomical variations. In many instances, 

 though not in enough to constitute a rule, the skele- 

 ton bears marks of external characters. The superior 

 maxillary of the wart-hog, for instance, has an osseous 

 protuberance just within each tusk, on which the 

 warty excrescence rests. The ordinary pig has a pre- 

 nasal bone on which the snout is placed. No other 

 animal possesses such a bone, though the ant-eaters 

 have something akin to it. 



There has been so much dispute in regard to 

 what constitutes " species " that the critic of Cuvier's 

 classification should be charitable toward what may 

 appear to be errors in his system. When differences 

 amount to permanent variations, species exist, and 

 not otherwise. Of course Cuvier was wrong when he 

 placed the dugong among whales, but that error may 

 be looked upon as accidental. 



The enthusiastic admirers of Cuvier may be par- 

 doned for some extravagant notions they entertained 

 in regard to his skill in restoring the entire animal it' 

 he only possessed a scale, a bone, or a tooth. It is 

 easy in some cases to give the outline of a tish by one 



