74 THE KIDDLE OF THE UNIVEKSE. 



scientist, started from that basis when, in 1735, in 

 his classical Sy sterna Natures, he made the first 

 attempt at a systematic arrangement, nomenclature, 

 and classification of the innumerable objects in 

 nature. As the best practical aid in that attempt he 

 introduced the well-known double or binary nomen- 

 clature ; to each kind of animals and plants he gave 

 a particular specific name, and added to it the wider- 

 reaching name of the genus. A genus served to unite 

 the nearest related species ; thus, for instance, Linne 

 grouped under the genus "dog" (canis), as different 

 species, the house-dog (canis familiaris), the jackal 

 (canis aureus), the wolf (cards lupus), the fox (canis 

 vulpes), etc. This binary nomenclature immediately 

 proved of such great practical assistance that it was 

 universally accepted, and is still always followed in 

 zoological and botanical classification. 



But the theoretical dogma which Linne himself 

 connected with his practical idea of species was fraught 

 with the gravest peril to science. The first question 

 which forced itself on the mind of the thoughtful 

 scientist was the question as to the nature of the 

 concept of species, its contents, and its range. And 

 the creator of the idea answered this fundamental 

 question by a naive appeal to the dominant Mosaic 

 legend of creation: "Species tot sunt diverse?, quot 

 diver sas for mas ab initio creavit infinitum ens " — (There 

 are just so many distinct species as there were distinct 

 types created in the beginning by the Infinite) . This 

 theosophic dogma cut short all attempt at a natural 

 explanation of the origin of species. Linne was 

 acquainted only with the plant and animal worlds 

 that exist to-day ; he had no suspicion of the much 

 more numerous extinct species which had peopled the 



