BARON CUVIER. 151 



been necessary to that harmony, and that pre- 

 servation, the only ends which our reason can 

 perceive in the arrangement of the world." 



Besides the *' Dictionnaire des Sciences Natu- 

 relies," there was yet another work of the same 

 kind to which M. Cuvier was a contributor — the 

 *« Dictionnaire des Sciences Medicales." The 

 most important of the papers thus destined is 

 that headed " Animal ; " in which, after stating 

 that the power of will can only produce the 

 movements for which the body is adapted, and 

 that, consequently, the energy of the signs whicli 

 it gives will bear a proportion to the greater or 

 lesser perfection of the envelope, he takes a 

 rapid view of the beings which fill the interval 

 between the sponge, the animality of which 

 consists solely in the power of contraction ; and 

 the dog, or elephant, each of whom is gifted 

 with a sentiment which often bears the appear- 

 ance of reason. 



I shall confine myself to the extract of that 

 part which describes the lower order of animals, 

 having already, when mentioning other writings, 

 had occasion to speak frequently of the higher 

 classes. ** A little above the sponges are the 

 monades, and other microscopic animals of an 

 homogeneous substance, simple and uncertain in 



L 4 



