ANIMAL KINGDOM. 243 



wide asunder from animals of the same family; but it 

 would be endless as well as useless to detail the violations 

 of natural order manifested by Linnaeus in his systemati- 

 cal arrangement of the MoUusques, which have so truly 

 constituted his stumbling-block. 



It cannot however be denied, that could we adopt the 

 notions of Linnaeus as to the nature of the animals, the 

 principles upon which he arranged their testaceous co- 

 verings are excellent, and such perhaps that to them every 

 conchologist, who is not desirous to be acquainted with the 

 true inhabitant of the shell, must in the end be obHged to 

 resort. To those indeed who admire the splendour of the 

 pencilling, the beauty of the enamel, and the variety of 

 sculpture which exist in shells, it might be depriving 

 them of at least an innocent amusement to object the tri- 

 vial nature of their study as leading to no general results; 

 but it may be as well to remind them that, unless they 

 add to their satisfaction and to their knowledge by studying 

 the structure of the animals themselves, there is no more 

 science in the disposition of their cabinets than may appear 

 in the tasteful arrangement of porcelain on a mantle-piece. 

 The true and almost the only scientific object of the study 

 of the shell out of the province of geology, seems to be 

 the relation which it bears to the organs of respiration and 

 circulation. Separate the shell from the animal, and 

 much less acquaintance with the natural system is to be 

 derived from this inorganic covering, than M. Klein obtain- 

 ed of his birds by seeing only their beaks and claws. Be- 

 sides, collectors themselves, to lay aside the considera- 

 tion of their time and talent being then properly directed, 

 would be signally benefited in their own province by the 

 study of the anatomical structure of the Mollusca. They 



B 2 



