CHAPTER II. 



GENERAL CHARACTERS OF VERTEBRATED ANIMALS. 



60. THE Fertebrated sub-kingdom, including the classes of 

 Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, and Fishes, is characterised by the 

 presence, in all the animals which belong to it, of an internal 

 skeleton, composed of bone or cartilage, and forming an envelope 

 to the nervous centres. In the Articulated classes, there is no 

 vestige of any such structure ; and the only Mollusca (some of 

 the Cuttle-fish tribe), in which there is the least approach to it, 

 are sufficiently distinguished by other characters. It is true that, 

 among many of the Radiata*, such as a few of the Jelly-fish tribe, 

 and a large proportion of the Polypes, there is an internal ske- 

 leton, sometimes composed of a horny or cartilaginous tissue, and 

 sometimes possessing even a stony hardness ; but this gives equal 

 support to the whole fabric, and is not arranged in such a manner 

 as to give the least degree of peculiar protection to the nervous 

 centres ; so that, although it may be regarded as a kind of sketch, 

 or shadowing-forth, in this lowest group, of the plan of structure 

 which is characteristic of the highest, it cannot be said to have 

 any real correspondence with it. 



6 1 . The animals of the Vertebrated series are, of all sentient 

 beings, those whose faculties are the most varied and the most 

 perfect. The principle of the division of labour is carried out in 

 them to its highest degree ; every function to be performed 

 having its own separate organ, whose operations are limited to it 

 alone ; consequently, the Vertebrata are, of all animals, those in 

 which the distinct organs are the most numerous and the most 

 complicated. We may encounter many, among the lower tribes, 

 in which the number of parts is as great, or even greater ; but, 



