40 LESSON VIII. 



nected with classification. Suppose that you had 

 found a variety of shells on the seashore, and 

 wished to inform a friend of the specimens you 

 had picked up, without entering into a long des- 

 cription of each, what would you do ? 



Child. I would tell him their names. 



Teacher. But if he had never seen the shells 

 before, what idea would the name convey to him ? 

 If I told you that I had a murex in my hand, 

 what notion would you form of this shell ? 



Child. None at all, unless you shewed it to 

 me. 



Teacher. But if you had seen the shell, ob- 

 served its peculiar form and appearance, and been 

 told that it was called a murex, what would then 

 be the effect of my telling you that I had another 

 murex in my hand ? 



Child. I should know exactly what kind of 

 shell you meant. 



Teacher. This will give you some idea of the 

 advantages of scientific classification. In the va- 

 rious branches of natural history, the objects 

 which resemble each other in essential characters 

 are put together into a class or genus, a descrip- 

 tion of their points of resemblance is drawn up, 

 and a name affixed to the class. When we have 

 become acquainted with these characteristics, the 

 name will recal to our minds the idea of the set 

 of things signified by it. 



Child. A name then becomes very useful. 



Teacher. How does it become so useful ? 



