14 GRAND DIVISIONS. 



medulla spinalis. It is that system which extends 

 through the heart, lungs, and stomach, and is con- 

 nected with the brain by a very minute fibre. - 

 Nature seems to have been very solicitous to pro- 

 vide for the digestive, respiratory and circulatory 

 systems, in every division of animals. The sys- 

 tem of nerves, devoted to this object, is kept al- 

 most distinct in vertebral animals, and the medul- 

 la spinalis, as well as the brain, seem to be but 

 appendages. 



The organs of sense and motion are all double, 

 and are arranged on two sides of the nervous axis. 

 To the vertebral column are attached two series 

 of ribs, constituting the chief frame-work of the 

 body. Strong bony limbs are bound to each ex- 

 tremity of the bony column, which are mostly cov- 

 ered by the muscles which give them motion. All 

 the proper visera are inclosed in the head and 

 trunk. 



Both brain and medulla spinalis being peculiar 

 to this division, the sentient principle is much 

 more perfect in this than in the other divisions. 

 Here we find four pair of organs of sense. Two 

 eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and two fleshy mass- 

 es constituting a tongue, or rather a pair of or- 

 gans of taste. 



, These animals have red blood, hearts with al- 

 ternate sistole and diastole motions, horizontal 

 jaws adapted to the preparation of food for the di- 

 gestive process. They are viviparous or ovipa- 

 rous, and from the commencement of their lives 

 till death, they supply the daily waste of their 

 bodies by masticating and passing into the stom- 

 ach, aliment suited to their respective natures. A 



