THE DOCTRINE OF FINAL CAUSES. 503 



same order. Cuvier had always maintained that the 

 plan of molluscs is not a continuation of the plan 

 of vertebrates. 



MM. Laurencet and Meyranx, on the contrary, 

 conceived that the sepia might be reduced to the 

 type of a vertebrate creature, by considering the 

 back-bone of the latter bent double backwards, so 

 as to bring the root of the tail to the nape of the 

 neck ; the parts thus brought into contact being 

 supposed to coalesce. By this mode of conception, 

 these anatomists held that the viscera were placed in 

 the same connexion as in the vertebrate type, and 

 the functions exercised in an analogous manner. 



To decide on the reality of the analogy thus 

 asserted, clearly belonged to the jurisdiction of the 

 most eminent anatomists and physiologists. The 

 Memoir was committed to Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire 

 and Latreille, two eminent zoologists, in order to be 

 reported on. Their report was extremely favour- 

 able ; and went almost to the length of adopting 

 the views of the authors. 



Cuvier expressed some dissatisfaction with this 

 report on its being read 6 ; and a short time after- 

 wards 7 , represented Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire as having 

 asserted that the new views of Laurencet and Mey- 

 ranx refuted completely the notion of the great 

 interval which exists between molluscous and verte- 

 brate animals. Geoffroy protested against such an 

 interpretation of his expressions ; but it soon ap- 



6 Princ. de Phil. Zool. discutes en 1830, p. 36. 7 p. 50. 



