134> ON SYSTEMATIC ZOOLOGY. 



writings will always possess some authority, and whose 

 opinions, if not followed, should always be consulted, 

 would he an unpardonable omission. Without some 

 acquaintance with the labours of these princes of the 

 zoological world, no one can hope to extend the bound- 

 aries of science; nor will their reputation suffer by 

 the occasional fallacy of their opinions ; for that defect, 

 incident to all, is amply compensated by the vast acces- 

 sion of valuable facts which each has contributed to 

 pur science. These systems, however, with the excep- 

 tion of that of Lamarck, are artificial, inasmuch as they 

 represent the scale of being as simple, and confound 

 analogy with affinity. 



(186.) We commence with the system of Aristotle, 

 the great father of natural history, whose comprehen- 

 sive views of nature first laid the foundation of all that 

 has been done by his successors. That part of his 

 celebrated work which treats of the vertebrated animals 

 will be best understood by the following table, translated 

 from that given in the Linnaean Transactions (vol. xvi. 

 p. 24.), by one whose labours in the same field renders 

 his name worthy of being associated with that of the 

 renowned philosopher of Stagyra : 



