NATURAL SCIENCE. 



NATURAL SCIENCE embraces all the objects of the material 

 creation, from the minutest insect, plant or particle of dust, to 

 the most vast of the celestial spheres. This great field of 

 knowledge is divided into Natural Philosophy and Natural 

 History. Natural Philosophy elucidates the laws which gov- 

 ern the phenomena of the material world, and is divided 

 into Chemistry and Physics. Chemistry treats of phenomena 

 which depend upon a change in the constitution of bodies: 

 Physics treats of the dynamical properties and phenomena of 

 bodies, which do not depend on a change in constitution or 

 elements. 



Natural History treats of the character and properties of 

 individual objects : these are divided into three great natural 

 groups called kingdoms, viz. the animal, the vegetable and 

 the mineral kingdom. Natural objects are distinguished also 

 into two great classes termed animate- organic and inanimate- 

 inorganic. All the individuals of each of the primary divi- 

 sions, are again divided or grouped into Classes, Orders, Ge- 

 nera and Species. 



The dividing line between organic life and inanimate mat- 

 ter, is not well defined; between the lowest form of organic 

 life and the most perfect and symmetrical crystal of the mine- 



