298 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



study of those animals to which at the present day so 

 much interest is attached, and their example has since 

 been often imitated. M. Edwards has published a very 

 considerable number of original memoirs in the Annalesdes 

 Sciences Naturelles, the zoological department of which 

 has been under his direction for twenty years, and which 

 in his hands has become one of the most remarkable 

 scientific periodicals of the age.* Amongst the general 

 works of this naturalist we may instance, among others, 

 his Histoire des Crustaces, which forms part of the Suites a 

 Buffon, his Histoire des Polypiers, which was published 

 conjointly with M. J. Haime, and the Elements de Zoolo- 

 gie, which has become a classical text book. 



The scientific merits of M. Edwards are not so much 

 dependent upon the number and extent of his labours 

 as upon their general tendencies. In addition to special 

 facts, the author has always sought for generalities. 



Thus, after having given the anatomy of the Crusta- 

 ceans, he adds a memoir on the tegumentary skeleton of 

 these animals, which is entirely conceived in the spirit of 

 the philosophical schools, although executed with a rigour 

 which is very often wanting in works of that nature. 

 His elucidation of the general history of these Articulata 

 necessarily led to the consideration of their geographical 



* The Annales des Sciences Naturelks first appeared in 1824, 

 under the joint direction of MM. Audouin, Brongniart and Dumas, 

 and were then devoted equally to zoology, botany, geology, and 

 mineralogy. Since 1834 the two latter sciences have not been 

 included, and the second series, which continued to appear for ten 

 years, was under the direction of MM. Audouin and Edwards for 

 zoology, and MM. Brongniart, Guillemin, and Decaisne for botany. 

 In 1844 the third series was commenced, the zoological depart- 

 ment being under the sole direction of M. Edwards, whilst 

 MM. Brongniart and Decaisne superintended that of botany. In 

 1854 the Annales entered upon their fourth series under the same 

 editors. 



