posses-inn ni' (til the forms which it contains, would present links 

 of traii-iti 'ii such as tne.-e, towards tlu> LH'onps which .-nrromid it. 

 But. for the rca-ons alreadv stati'd (27~^0), they arc frequently 

 wanting, although they arc continuallv bein^ brought to li^ht by 

 Liu- rapid extension of Zoological research. A few examples of 

 rhi- kind may be here adverted to. It has been alreadv stated, 

 that the different families and yencra of the order Pachydermata. 

 widely as they appear to be separated when we look at the exist- 

 ing species alone, are in reality connected most closely by fossil 

 species, which present the most remarkable and interesting com- 

 binations of characters, that are now found separately in the 

 forms with which we are familiar. The chief of these will be 

 pointed out in their proper place. The dif- 

 ferent orders of Reptiles, although very dis- 



I O 



tinct as regards their types, viz. Turtles. 

 Li/ards, Serpents, and FroL's, arc- yet most 

 closely connected together bv links of tran- 

 sition, that pass between the typical forms. 

 Thus, between the Turtles (Fig. 1^), and 

 Crocodiles (Fig. It), the passage is e.-iab- 

 lished by species of Turtles, which have a 

 long neck, tail, and legs, and a small shell 

 which only covers a part of the back, (known 

 as Alligator-Tortoises,) and the Crocodiles 

 lead u- by an easy transition 1o the' Li/anls, 



with which indeed they were formerly united in \\ single irrouj). 

 Again, from the true or ////;/Vv// Li/anls, which have four leirs. we 

 pass to the Serpents f Fig.J.I), which have none, bv means of such 

 specie- of Li/.ard< a- the one represented in Fig. Hi. which have 

 the body and tail v.-ry much prolonged, and the legs very short, 



