EVIDENCES OF EVOLUTION. 85 



The system of classification of Aristotle, and of 

 the naturalists of antiquity generally, was of the most 

 primitive character. It recognized but two groups, 

 ylvof and elfl9, genus and species. These terms, as 

 a rule, had only a very vague meaning, and were 

 frequently made to embrace groups of animals that 

 we should now refer to orders and classes. ' 



This system, however, incomplete and mislead- 

 ing as it was, prevailed for upwards of two thousand 

 years, and no serious attempt was made to improve 

 on it until the time of the great naturalist, Linnaeus. 

 He introduced new divisions and distinctions, gave 

 to the study of zoology an impetus which it had 

 never received before, and stimulated research in a 

 manner that was simply marvelous. He was the 

 first to introduce classes and orders into the system of 

 zoology, in addition to the vague genera and species 

 of the ancient philosophers. 11 Until the appearance 

 of the "Regne Animal" of Cuvier, in the beginning 

 of the present century, the "Systema Naturae" 

 of Linnaeus, first published in 1735, was the only 

 system of classification which received any recogni- 

 tion. All other attempts at classification were only 



l ln the sixth chapter of the first book of his " History of 

 Animals" Aristotle distinguishes between yev?/ /jryiara, -yevtf fieydfa 

 and yevoc simply. This chapter will well repay perusal as 

 illustrating the diversity of meanings given to a word which in 

 modern zoology has such a definite and restricted signification. 

 Although c5o? had sometimes a wider meaning than we now 

 give to this term, it must, nevertheless, in justice to the illustri- 

 ous Stagirite, be said that he usually employed it in the same 

 sense as naturalists now use the word species. 



2 Linnjeus called the class, genus summttm; the order, genus 

 intermedium ; the genus, genus proximum. 



