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ion in the circle of Birds the circle of Birds is the 3d in the 

 lower Vertebrata the lower Vertebrata is the 2d in the Zoologi- 

 cal the Zoological, or Animal, is the 1st in the Organic the 

 Organic is the 1st in the Natural the Natural is the 3d in the 

 Universal. 



I will now descend still lower, and take the beautiful Shell 

 Harpula, (Vexillum.) 



It belongs to the sub-genus, Harpula Proper. This is subdi- 

 vided from the genus, Harpula ; Harpula is from the sub-family 

 Volutinae; Volutinas is from the family, Volutidas ; Volutidae is 

 from the tribe, Zoophaga ; Zoophaga is from the order, Gastero- 

 poda ; Gasteropoda is from the class, Testacea ; Testacea is from 

 the sub-kingdom, Mollusca; Mollusca is the 3d is the Invertebra- 

 ta ; Invertebrata is the 3d in the Animal circle ; the Animal is the 

 1st in the Organic; the Organic is the first in the Material or 

 Natural ; the Material is the 3d in the Universal. 



Here I have used the terms, kingdom, sub-kingdom, class, or- 

 der, tribe, family, sub-family, genus, and sub-genus, because they 

 are terms most familiar with naturalists. Yet all that is meant 

 is a distinct department which has a greater resemblance between 

 its internal parts, than it has to any other department in the 

 whole range of Science. It matters not whether it is called a 

 circle, a class, family, or genus, provided we understand the true 

 order of arrangement. 



All these terms the terms genus and species in particular 

 are in common use among students, yet in the present state of 

 knowledge, they have no definite meaning whalever, and might 

 as well be entirely discarded. Some speak of the human race, 

 others of the human species ; some divide species into varieties ; 

 others consider varieties as species. Des Moulins, a French 

 Philosopher, asks the question, " What are species ?" but does 

 not answer it. And a late writer says, " that naturalist would be 

 canonized who should answer it in "a manner acceptable to all." 

 Now, whoever will take the trouble to learn the system of the 

 universe as here developed, will find no difficulty in giving a defi- 

 nite and satisfactory meaning to these terms, if they choose to 

 place them in this mathematical arrangement. 



