BARON CUVTER. 1^7 



of nature, the more we are convinced that this 

 is one of the falsest ideas that has ever resulted 

 from the pursuit of natural history ; the more we 

 have been convinced of the necessity of con- 

 sidering each being, each group of beings, by 

 itself, and the part it plays by its properties and 

 organisation, and not to make abstraction of any 

 of its affinities, or any of the links which attach 

 it, either to the beings nearest to it, or the most 

 distant from it. Once placed in this point of 

 view, difficulties vanish, all arranges itself for 

 the naturalist : but systematic methods only 

 embrace the nearest affinities ; and by placing a 

 being only between two others, they will always 

 be wrong. The true method is, to view each 

 being in the midst of all others : it shows all 

 the radiations by which it is more or less closely 

 linked with that immense network which con- 

 stitutes organised nature ; and it is this only 

 which can give us that great idea of nature, which 

 is true, and worthy of her and her Author ; but 

 ten or twenty rays often would not suffice to 

 express these innumerable affinities .... We shall 

 therefore approach to each other those whom 

 nature has approximated, without feeling ob- 

 liged to put into our groups the beings she has 

 not placed there ; and making no scruple, after 



