404 HISTORY OF ZOOLOGY. 



had prepared a general system, founded upon one 

 single numerical principle ; the number of fins ; 

 just as the sexual system of Linnaeus is founded upon 

 the number of stamina : and he made his subdivi- 

 sions according to the position of the ventral and 

 pectoral fins; the same character which Linnaeus 

 had employed for his primary division. He could 

 not have done better, says Cuvier 13 , if his object had 

 been to turn into ridicule all artificial methods, and 

 to show to what absurd combinations they may lead. 



Cuvier himself, who always pursued natural 

 systems with a singularly wise and sagacious con- 

 sistency, attempted to improve the ichthyological 

 arrangements which had been proposed before him. 

 In his Regne Animal, published in 1817, he at- 

 tempts the problem of arranging this class ; and the 

 views suggested to him, both by his successes, and 

 his failures, are so instructive and philosophical, 

 that I cannot illustrate the subject better than by 

 citing some of them. 



"The class of fishes," he says 14 , "is, of all, that 

 which offers the greatest difficulties, when we wish 

 to subdivide it into orders, according to fixed and 

 obvious characters. After many trials, I have de- 

 termined on the following distribution, which in 

 some instances is wanting in precision, but which 

 possesses the advantage of keeping the natural 

 families entire. 



"Fish form two distinct series; that of chon- 



13 p. 108. l4 Regne Animal, vol. ii. p. 110. 



