XXviii PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



in wliich they had hitherto been involved among the Mollusca, the Tes- 

 tacea, and the Zoophytes, and placed in their natural order — even their 

 genera have been elucidated only by my observations on them, published 

 in the " Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles," and elsewhere. 



I shall say nothing relative to the three classes contained in the third 

 volume. M. Latreille, who, with the exception of some anatomical de- 

 tails, founded on my own observations and those of M. Raradohr, added 

 to his text, its sole author, will explain in an advertisement whatever is 

 particularly deserving of remark in his performance. 



As to the Zoophytes, which terminate the animal kingdom, I have 

 availed myself, for the Echinodermata, of the late work of M. de Lamarck, 

 and for the Intestinal Worms, of that of M. Rudolphi, entitled Entozoa; 

 but I have dissected all the genera, some of which have been determined 

 by me only. Besides this, there is an excellent work of M. Tiedemann 

 on the anatomy of the Echinodermata that received the prize of the In- 

 stitute some years ago, and which will shortly appear — it will leave no- 

 thing to be wished for in the description of these curious animals. The 

 Corals and the Infusoria, allowing no field for anatomical investigations, 

 have been briefly disposed of. The new work of M. de Lamarck will 

 supply my deficiencies*. 



With respect to authors, I can only mention here, those who have fur- 

 nished me with general views, or who were the origin of such in my own 

 mind-j-. There are many others to whom I am indebted for particular 

 facts, whose names I have carefully quoted wherever I have made use of 

 them. They will be found in every page of my book. Should I have 

 omitted to do justice to any, it must be attributed to involuntary forget- 

 fulness — no property, in my eyes, is more sacred than the conceptions of 

 the mind, and the custom, too common among naturalists, of disguising 

 plagiarisms by a change of names, has always appeared to me an un- 

 doubted crime. 



The publication of my Comparative Anatomy will now occupy me with- 

 out intermission ; the materials are ready, great quantities of preparations 

 and drawings are finished and arranged; and I shall be careful in divid- 

 ing the work into parts, each of which will form a whole, so that should 

 my physical powers prove insufficient for the completion of the whole of 

 ray plan, what I shall have produced will still form integral parts, and the 

 materials I have collected be ready for the hand of him who may under- 

 take the continuation of my labours. 



Jar din du Rot, 1816. 



* I have this moment received, I'Histoire des Poh/piers corallighies flexihles of M. 

 Lamouroux, whieb furnishes an excellent supplement to ISI. Lamarck. 



t M. de Blainville has recently published general zoological tables, which I regret 

 came too late for nie to profit by; having appeared when my book was nearly printed. 



