92 THE MICROSCOPE. 



posed from its throne, but lifted up to a higher 

 family ; since now, as the Zeugledon Cetoides, 

 it takes its place among the lower orders of the 

 mammalia. 1 By the Microscope, the Sauro- 

 cephalus has been exiled from the class of rep- 

 tiles to that of fishes ; 2 and, by the Microscope, 

 doubts long entertained by the highest autho- 

 rities as to the affinities and habits of the 

 gigantic Megatherium have been satisfactorily 

 determined. 3 



(1.) Nor let it be supposed that such disco- 

 veries affect only questions of abstract science. 

 They often stand connected with matters of the 

 highest importance in everyday life. Owen's dis- 

 coveries supply us with a case strikingly in point. 

 With his Microscope, our distinguished com- 

 parative anatomist and palaeontologist finally 

 settled a question of vast importance to the 

 financial and commercial interests of a mighty 

 empire. For recently, it was observed that a 

 rock-formation spread extensively over Livonia 

 and Northern Eussia, where the relative posi- 



1 Lyell's Elements, p. 234. 



2 Morris's British Fossils, p. 343. 



3 Hogg on the Microscope, p. 375. 



