CUVIER. 147 



certain microscopic animals. The Vertebrate animals 

 were, finally, raised by Cuvier from the rank of a ' class ' 

 to that of a fourth ' embranchement,' equivalent in zoo- 

 logical value to the three primary divisions of the 

 Invertebrate animals. 



There can be no question as to the enormous advance 

 presented by the Cuvierian classification of animals, as 

 above sketched out, upon the system established by 

 Linnaeus. This advance is seen not only in the greater 

 naturalness of the groups adopted by Cuvier, but also 

 in the fact that his divisions were based upon sounder 

 and more philosophical principles. So far as concerns 

 the actual groups established by Cuvier, naturalists at 

 present unanimously accept the three great divisions, or 

 sub-kingdoms, of the Vertebrata, the Mollusca, and the 

 Articulata; though certain minor changes have been 

 effected in all of these. Thus, the frogs and newts 

 (Amphibia) are now separated from the reptiles proper, 

 with which they were associated by Cuvier, and are regarded 

 as a separate * class' of Vertebrate animals. Again, the 

 barnacles and acorn-shells (Cirripedes) are now known 

 not to belong to the Molluscs, but to be properly refer- 

 able to the Crustaceans, and to be therefore 'Articulate 

 animals.' Lastly, the Articulata of Cuvier constitute the 

 ' Annulose animals ' of modern zoologists ; and it is usual 

 to associate with these the group of parasitic worms, 

 which Cuvier had placed in his lowest ' embranchement ' 

 of the animal kingdom. 



On the other hand, the Radiata of Cuvier stand to 

 the Cuvierian classification in the same relation that 

 the Vermes did to the Linnean system. In each 



