170 ON SYSTEMATIC ZOOLOGY. 



investigation of nature/ who would otherwise have 

 shrunk from those obstacles which he removed. 



(221.) The system of Cuvier succeeded that of Lin- 

 naeus, and equally embraced the whole animal kingdom. 

 The immense increase that had been now made to our 

 knowledge of natural productions called for the insti- 

 tution of new genera and subdivisions, and a general 

 revision of all the groups. Patronised by his govern- 

 ment, and gifted with talents of no common order, 

 this illustrious anatomist conceived the idea of a natural 

 system, founded exclusively upon the organisation of 

 animals. The attempt, however grand, has been emi- 

 nently unsuccessful. Like all those which have been 

 built on one set of characters, the system of M. Cuvier 

 has eventually become most palpably artificial. But as 

 we shall have frequent occasion to illustrate this opinion, 

 we proceed at once to give a general outline of the great 

 divisions of the animal kingdom as proposed in the 

 Regne AnimaL 



(222.) In the Cuvierian system all animals are ar- 

 ranged under four principal divisions : I. Vertebrated 

 animals (Animalia vertebrata). II. Soft or molluscous 

 animals {Animalia mollusca). III. Articulated ani- 

 mals (Animalia articulatd). And, lastly, IV. Radiated 

 animals (Animalia radiata). The principal groups into 

 which each of these classes are next divided will be seen 

 by the following tables. 



(223.) I. The VERTEBRATA, or vertebrated class, are 

 also divided into four groups; namely, 1. Mammalia, or 

 Quadrupeds; 2. Aves, or Birds ; 3. ReptUia, or Reptiles; 

 and, 4. Pisces, or Fishes. These animals in themselves 

 are abundantly different in their external form; but, as 

 our author's system professes to be founded on anato- 

 mical structure only, he rejects the more plain and ob- 

 vious characters, which every one can see, and which had 

 been so happily employed by Linnaeus, and makes the dif- 

 ferences between these groups to depend upon circum- 

 stances which no one but an anatomist can understand. 

 Thus Quadrupeds, or Mammalia, are to be known by 



