KXVill PREFACE TO THE FiRST EDITION. 
in which they had hitherto been involved among the Mollusca, the Tes- 
tacea, and the Zoophytes, and placed in their natural order—even their 
genera have been elucidated only by my observations on them, published 
in the “ Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles,” and elsewhere. 
I shall say nothing relative to the three classes contained in the third 
volume. M. Latreille, who, with the exception of some anatomical de- 
tails, founded on my own observations and those of M. Ramdohr, added 
to his text, its sole author, will explain in an advertisement whatever is 
particularly deserving of remark in his performance. 
As to the Zoophytes, which terminate the animal kingdom, I have 
availed myself, for the Echinodermata, of the late work of M. de Lamarck, 
and for the Intestinal Worms, of that of M. Rudolphi, entitled Entozoa ; 
but I have dissected all the genera, some of which have been determined 
by me only. Besides this, there is an excellent work of M. Tiedemann 
on the anatomy of the Echinodermata that received the prize of the In- 
stitute some years ago, and which will shortly appear—it will leave no- 
thing to be wished for in the description of these curious animals. The 
Corals and the Infusoria, allowing no field for anatomical investigations, 
have been briefly disposed of. The new work of M. de Lamarck will 
supply my deficiencies*. 
With respect to authors, I can only mention here, those who have fur- 
nished me with general views, or who were the origin of such in my own 
mind}. There are many others to whom I am indebted for particular 
facts, whose names I have carefully quoted wherever I have made use of 
them. They will be found in every page of my book. Should I have 
omitted to do justice to any, it must be attributed to involuntary forget- 
fulness—no property, in my eyes, is more sacred than the conceptions of 
the mind, and the custom, too common among naturalists, of disguising 
plagiarisms by a change of names, has always appeared to me an un- 
doubted crime. 
The publication of my Comparative Anatomy will now occupy me with- 
out intermission; the materials are ready, great quantities of preparations 
and drawings are finished and arranged; and I shall be careful in divid- 
ing the work into parts, each of which will form a whole, so that should 
my physical powers prove insufficient for the completion of the whole of 
my plan, what I shall have produced will still form integral parts, and the 
materials I have collected be ready for the hand of him who may under- 
take the continuation of my labours. 
Jardin du Roi, 1816. 
F I have this moment received, ('Iistoire des Polypiers coralligenes flexibles of M. 
es which furnishes an excellent supplement to M Lamarek 
M. de Blainville has recently publis i whi 
é » has y published general zoo 3, W oor 
came too late for me to profit by; I ing appear _ ore ide ee edt 
At by; having appeared when my book was nearly printed. 
