INTRODUCTION. 3 



knowledge of their connection and dependence upon one another, 

 and to their comparative importance in the scale of existence. 

 Were it possible to arrange all the classes of organized and inor- 

 ganic existences in such a manner that the individuals of the 

 same genus should be more nearly connected with that genus 

 than with any other the genera of the same order more nearly 

 connected with that order than with all the other orders, and so 

 on, little more would be necessary to make the method, so far as 

 depends on arrangement, complete. But it has not hitherto been 

 found in practice, that characters sufficiently uniform, and at the 

 same time easily cognizable, can be found for arranging all the 

 groups of individuals into closely connected families. Aware of 

 this, Linnaeus in his Systema Naturce employed one system of 

 organs in his division of its various objects ; while those who at- 

 tempt to class individual species according to what is called the 

 Natural Method take the whole structure of the objects into con- 

 sideration. The last of these methods, it is evident, could it be 

 carried into effect, would be the most philosophical ; but either 

 system followed exclusively is found to produce the most hete- 

 rogeneous combinations. That system, then, is to be considered 

 the best, which, in addition to short and clear diagnostic charac- 

 ters, affords the greatest facility in investigating the productions 

 of nature. 



The term Nature, it may be remarked, bears various signi- 

 fications. It is sometimes used to signify the properties which a 

 being derives from original conformation, in opposition to those 

 which it has acquired from art ; sometimes to express the whole 

 objects which compose the universe ; at other times the laws 

 which regulate this universe ; and these laws being, in point of 

 fact, the will of that Beneficent and Omnipotent Being who 

 formed all this " gay creation," the word Nature is frequently 

 employed by a figure of speech to designate its great Author. 



The first great division of natural objects is into ORGANIZED 

 and INORGANIC bodies ; the first including animals and plants 

 the second minerals. These distinctions are easily under- 

 stood, and have been universally acknowledged to be confor- 

 mable to nature. Vitality distinguishes the one the want of 

 vitality characterizes the other. 



The objects of Natural History are further arranged into three 



