CHARACTERS OF THE SUB-TYPICAL FORM. 24-5 



among the Mottusca, and in the Medusa in the circle of 

 radiated animals. In short, there is no end to the 

 proofs which illustrate both these principles. 



(304.) Perfection in the number of species or of forms 

 is also a remarkable and very general character of pre- 

 eminently typical groups. This is not, indeed, apparent 

 in the mammalia which stands at the head of the verte- 

 brated circle, and the reasons are obvious ; but in the 

 order Quadrumana, which is the pre-eminent type of 

 quadrupeds, and in the Insessores, which is the same in 

 birds, we have the largest groups in their respective 

 circles. Among the Annulosa, also, the Ptilota, or 

 winged insects, are probably ten times more numerous 

 than all other annulose groups put together. In tracing 

 this peculiarity in the lower divisions we see it very 

 prevalent; and in looking to natural genera we find 

 that the genus Picus, Sylvicola, Sylvia, and several 

 others among birds, and that of the restricted sub-genus 

 Scarab&us (MacLeay) among insects, are all remark- 

 ably abundant in individuals, when compared with the 

 remaining contents of their respective circles. This 

 numerical preponderancy is not, however, by any means 

 universal, because in very many instances nature seems 

 to make up by number what she withholds in size. The 

 infusorial animalcula are, therefore, the most numerous 

 of all organised beings. 



(305.) II. SUB-TYPICAL groups, as the name implies, 

 are a degree lower in organisation than those last de- 

 scribed; and thus exhibit an intermediate character 

 between typical and aberrant divisions. They do not 

 comprise the largest individuals in bulk, but always those 

 which are the most powerfully armed, either for inflict- 

 ing injury on their own class, for exciting terror, pro- 

 ducing injury, or creating annoyance to man. Their 

 dispositions are often sanguinary ; since the forms most 

 conspicuous among them live by rapine, and subsist on 

 the blood of other animals. They are, in short, symbol* 

 ically the types of evil ; and in such an extraordinary 

 way is this principle modified in the smaller groups, 

 n 3 



