364 A MARVELLOUS TOTAL. 



pelagoes of the great ocean have never been entomologically 

 explored, we may conclude, without any fear of mistake, that 

 the number of existing coleopteras exceeds one hundred thou- 

 sand. However frightful this number may appear, it will 

 seem less so if we examine only the species discovered in the 

 neighbourhood of Paris, within a radius of twelve to fifteen 

 leagues j and we do not hesitate to say, that in a few years the 

 Parisian fauna alone will present material for a considerable 

 work, which shall not treat of less than 3000 to 4000 species 

 of Coleoptera." * 



If we admit that the other orders of insects, the Lepidoptera, 

 the Hemiptera, the Hymenoptera, the Neuroptera, the Orthop_ 

 tera, the Diptera, the Strepsiptera, comprise, taken altogether, 

 at least the same number of species as the Coleoptera alone, we 

 shall gain, for the class of insects, a total of 200,000. And 

 we shall certainly keep within the truth if we assign the same 

 number of species to the Annelida, the Crustacea, the Arach- 

 nida, the Myriapoda, and the Monomorpha, to which, with 

 some modification, we may apply the remarks already called 

 forth by the Coleoptera. 



Let us recapitulate. The four classes of Vertebrate Animals 

 include approximatively : 



i, 600 species . . Mammals. 



5,000 ,, . . Birds. 



2,000 . . Reptiles. 



12,000 ,, . . Fishes. 



20,600 

 * Count de Castelnau, "Histoire Naturelle des Coleopteres," i. 7. 



