CHARACTERS OF THE SUB-TYFPICAL FORM. 245 
among the Mollusca, and in the Medusa in the circle of 
radiated animals. In short, there is no end to the 
proofs which illustrate both these principles. 
(304.) Perfection in the number of species or of forms 
is also a remarkable and very general character of pre- 
eminently typical groups. . This is not, indeed, apparent 
in the mammalia which stands at the head of the verte- 
brated circle, and the reasons are obvious; but in the 
order Quadrumana, which is the pre-eminent type of 
quadrupeds, and in the Jnsessores, which is the same in 
birds, we have the largest groups in their respective 
eircles. Among the Annulosa, also, the Ptilota, or 
winged insects, are probably ten times more numerous 
than all other annulose groups put together. In tracing 
this peculiarity in the lower divisions we see it very 
prevalent ; and in looking to natural genera we find 
that the genus Picus, Sylvicola, Sylvia, and several 
others among birds, and that of the restricted sub-genus 
Scarabeus (MacLeay) among insects, are all remark- 
ably abundant in individuals, when compared with the 
remaining contents of their respective circles. This 
numerical preponderancy is not, however, by any means 
universal, because in very many instances nature seems 
to make up by nwmber what she withholds in size. The 
infusorial animalcula are, therefore, the most numerous 
of all organised beings. 
(305.) II. Sus-rypica groups, as the name implies, 
are a degree lower in organisation than those last de- 
scribed ; and thus exhibit an intermediate character 
between typical and aberrant divisions. They do not 
comprise the largest individuals in bulk, but always those 
which are the most powerfully armed, either for inflict- 
ing injury on their own class, for exciting terror, pro- 
ducing injury, or creating annoyance to man. Their 
dispositions are often sanguinary ; since the forms most 
conspicuous among them live by rapine, and subsist on 
the blood of other animals. They are, in short, symbol-« 
ically the types of evil; and in such an extraordinary 
way is this principle modified in the smaller groups, 
R 3 
