LAMARCK. 



173 



TABLEAU DU REGNE ANIMAL (1802). 



MONTRANT LA DEGRADATION PROGRESSIVE DES ORGANES SPECIAUX 

 JUSQU'A LEUR ANEANTISSEMENT. 



Wota. La. progression de la degradation n'est nulle part nfguliere 

 ou proportionnelle ; mais elle existe dans Pensemble d'une maniere 



dvidente. 



Une colonne vertdbrale, faisant la base d'un 

 squelette articule. 



Point de colonne vertdbrale ; point de veritable 

 squelette. 



Les Mammaux 

 Les'Oiseaux 

 Les Reptiles 

 Les Poissons 

 Les Mollusques 



6. Les Annelides 



7. Les Crustace's 



8. Les Arachnides 



9. Les Insectes 

 10. Les Vers 



n. Les Radiaires 

 12. Les Polypes 



In 1802 he expressly speaks of the shaded grada- 

 tion in the complication of organization, not as a 

 lineal series of species, or even of genera, for he 

 says such a series does not exist. But, " I speak of 

 a series quite regularly gradated in its principal 

 masses; that is to say, in the principal known 

 systems of organization. Such a series in this case 

 certainly offers lateral ramifications in many direc- 

 tions, the extremities of which are truly isolated 

 points." This early conception of Lamarck's may 

 be compared to a fir-tree with a single central stem 

 and radiating branches. He says, " that such a 



