6 CLASSIFICATION OF 



the others subservient to his use or pleasure. Still, how- 

 ever, a vast variety of creatures present themselves every 

 where to our view ; so that it becomes difficult to de- 

 termine where we shall commence their history. Not 

 only the three elements * propitious to life are replete 

 with animals ; but almost every vegetable, every leaf, is 

 peopled with myriads of minute inhabitants, each of which 

 fills up the circle of its allotted duties, and partakes of 

 Such enjoyments as its nature craves. 



In contemplating this wonderful exuberance of ani- 

 mated nature, ignorance might be tempted to rest in 

 desponding uncertainty, and to pronounce that to be ab- 

 solutely inscrutable, which cannot be developed without 

 much pains and attention. The active and inquisitive 

 mind of man, however, not intimidated at the contempla- 

 tion of the immense variety of subjects in this department 

 of natural history, has invented a mode of numbering, 

 grouping, and classing the different animals which fall 

 within its notice ; and thus arbitrary system has become 

 an useful auxiliary to science. 



Passing over the arrangement of animals adopted by 

 the ancient Greek and Latin naturalists, and that of the 

 less distinguished moderns, which have only been the 

 fashion of a day, and confined to few admirers, I shall 

 content myself at present with giving a brief analysis of 

 the schemes of Ray, Klein, Brisson, Buffon, Pennant, and 

 Linnaeus. Though in the present work I shall follow the 

 arrangement of the last of these authors, as being that 

 which is almost universally received, it may afford some 

 amusement and instruction to the young student in 

 nature, to trace the outline of the systems of the others, 

 as some of them obtained great and deserved celebrity in 

 their time, and probably will never be quite forgotten. 



RAY, in imitation of Aristotle, divides the animal king- 

 dom into two great classes, such as have blood and such 

 as have not ; placing all the insect tribes in the latter 



* Fartb, air, and water. 



