65 



THE FIRST GRAND DIVISION OF THE 

 ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



THE VERTEBRATED ANIMALS. 



The body of the vertebrated animals is sustained 

 by a skeleton, composed of many pieces, connected 

 together, and moveable one upon another. They, 

 have therefore, both certainty and strength in all 

 their motions; the solidity of this support also 

 enables them to attain to considerable bulk, and it 

 is in this division of the animal world that are found 

 creatures of the largest dimensions. 



The circumstance of their nervous system being 

 more concentrated, and the central parts of it more 

 voluminous, appears to give to their mental sus- 

 ceptibility more energy and durability, whence also 

 seems to result an intelligence more perfect than 

 in other animals, and more capable of improvement. 



Their body is composed of a head, a trunk, and 

 limbs. 



The head is formed of the skull which encloses 

 the brain, and of the face, composed of two jaws. 

 In the face are inserted the organs of sense. 



The trunk is sustained by the spine of the back 

 and by the ribs. 



The spine is composed of vertebra that move upon 



Vol. I. F 



