6 Mr. Kirby's Address at the 



should copy the example of a learned friend near me,* who has 

 done this in a style of superior excellence, and endeavour to elu- 

 cidate natural groups ; as this will, more than any other method, 

 (end to set wide the limits of our knowledge in this department : 

 but at any rate we ought to avoid giving insulated descriptions of 

 a single species, unless it be remarkable either for its economy or 

 structure ; or belongs to a genus containing few known species ; 

 or fills a gap in any group. With regard to m(//>e«0M* animals, 

 it seems more important that new species should be described as 

 they are discovered, this being a piece of domestic intelligence, 

 which always comes home to us. 



When we are engaged in the study of animals, and more espe- 

 cially of groups of them, it is of the first importance, if we would 

 avoid mistakes, that our attention should be kept alive to what 

 the friend lately alluded to has said on the subject of affinity and 

 analogy. By his judicious observations on this subject he has 

 opened a new door into the temple of nature, and taught us to 

 explore her mystic labyrinths, guided by a safer clue than we 

 were wont to follow. And whoever casts even a cursory glance 

 over her three kingdoms will every where be struck by resem- 

 blances between objects that have no real relation to each other. 

 He will see on one side dendritic minerals, on another zoomor- 

 phous plants, on a third phyiomorphous animals ; and amongst 

 animals themselves he will see numberless instances of this simu- 

 lation of affinity where the reality of it does not exist. From this 

 part of the plan of the Creator we may gather, I think, that every 

 thing has its meaning as well as its use', and that probably to the 

 first pair the Creation was a book of symbols, a sacred language ; 

 of which they possessed the key, and which it was their delight 

 to study and decypher. 



But to return from this digression. — Every circumstance con- 

 nected with the geographical distribution of animals is extremely 

 interesting and important, and merits our full attention. There 

 is often something very remarkable in the range of particular 

 tribes aud genera. Some animals, for instance, are common both 



* Mr. W. S. MacLeay. 



