429 Cours de ( Histoire Naturelle des Mammiferes. 
sees in many of their analogies more of the fancy of the poet 
than the sobriety of the anatomist. ‘To enter into the discus- 
sion were to presuppose, on the part of our readers, a more 
minute knowledge of anatomy than it would be reasonable to 
presume they possessed ; and they might deem a little pre- 
sumptuous the tiny reviewer who offered his umpirage in a 
debate between combatants of such fair renown. We will 
remark, however, that the theory seems to have been not the 
offspring of observation, but the child of fancy, or of reason 
if you will, nursed up by observations made for this view ; 
and, in this case, it is obvious that what to the strong in faith 
may seem very twin, or at least analogous in most points, may 
show very differently to the unconcerned, and to the unbeliever 
present a contrary aspect. Cuvier cannot see any similitude 
between the ossicles of the ear and the opercula of fish: to 
Saint-Hilaire no analogy is more patent. Cuvier sees nu- 
merous and important distinctions between the vertebral and 
invertebral animals: Saint-Hilaire believes the analogies be- 
tween them so many and so weighty as to shake to its found- 
ation the arrangement of the Regne Animal. 
The opinion we may enter tain concerning the validity of 
Saint-Hilaire’s hypothesis does not affect our opinion of the 
merits of the book; it is in the highest degree interesting : 
nor must our readers conclude, from what we have said, that 
it is merely an ex parte exposition and defence of the doctrine 
of unity of composition. ‘Throughout, indeed, that end is 
kept ever in view; but of the twenty lectures, including the 
preliminary discourse, which form its contents, six are on the 
structure and habits of the ape tribe, one on the lemurs, three 
on the bats, and five on the mole. Every one of these lectures 
is full of original views, at least of views little known in our 
country ; dnd the subjects altogether are discussed in a man- 
ner of which, we regret to add, we have no example in the 
English language. ‘To the lebtdees on the mole we shall 
probably return on a future occasion; at present we must 
finish this notice with some remarks on the habits of the cro- 
codile, as a specimen of the digressions which occasionally 
occur in the lectures devoted to the general subject. 
The crocodile, although furnished with a lung more per- 
fect than that of any other reptile, is little excited by the use 
of that organ. On the land, where it breathes by the lungs 
only, it is timid, and has no conedenees in itself, seizes its prey 
at unawares or by stratagem, provides previously for security 
in case of resistance, ands on any alarm hastens to throw itself 
in the water. Here it is quite another animal: its energy is 
extreme; its swimming rapid; and, rash even to excess, there 
