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]\IACLEAY SYSTEM OF ANIMATED 

 NATUEE. 



Tins SYSTEIM COXSIDEEED IN CONNEXION WITH THE 

 PEOGRESS OF ORGANIC CREATION, AND AS INDI- 

 CATING THE NATURAL STATUS OF MAN. 



It is now time to advert to the system formed by the 

 animated tribes, both with a view to the possible illus- 

 tration of the preceding argument, and for the light 

 which it throws upon that general system of nature 

 which it is the more comprehensive object of this book 

 to ascertain. 



The vegetable and animal kingdoms are arranged 

 upon a scale, starting from simply organised forms, and 

 going on to the more complex, each of these forms being 

 but slightly diflerent from those next to it on both sides. 

 The lowest and most slightly developed forms in the two 

 kingdoms are so closely connected, that it is impossible 

 to say where vegetable ends and animal begins. United 

 at what may be called their bases, they start away in 

 different directions, but not altogether to lose sight of 

 each other. On the contrary, they maintain a strict 

 analogy throughout the whole of their subsequent 

 courses, sub-kingdom for sub-kingdom, class for class; 

 showing a beautiful, though as yet obscure relation 

 between the two grand forms of being, and consequently 



