Classification of Animals. 547 



beings of which it is composed, and governed by certain laws of 

 general and universal application. How far he is likely, eventually, 

 to succeed in an undertaking so vast and comprehensive, we can 

 only at present form a conjecture from the contents of the volumes 

 already published. A careful perusal of these, assisted by our own 

 studies, strongly incline us to think that signal success will crown 

 his efforts ; that he will succeed in establishing throughout the re- 

 mainder of the animal kingdom, the same first principles of natural 

 arrangement, which we are of opinion he has clearly shewn to exist 

 in the chief departments of the Vertebrata ; that he will rise from 

 the completion of his task with an accession of fame to the high 

 reputation he already enjoys, leaving to future zoologists a le- 

 gacy of inestimable value, as teaching the true path towards the 

 attainment of a perfect knowledge of the science. But even should 

 he fail, or it were possible that the principles upon which the sys- 

 tem is based, hereafter should be found incorrect or at variance with 

 nature, still we hold that zoology must be benefited by Mr Swain- 

 son's labours ; inasmuch, as an investigation so deep and extensive, 

 and conducted upon principles equally philosophic, must necessarily 

 be instituted and pursued before such an event could possibly be 

 effected, no other mode of treating the subject can affect the 

 conclusions at which he has arrived. We are aware that many, 

 on a first or cursory perusal of these volumes, will be impressed 

 with the idea, that the system is one involved in difficulties, and not 

 to be mastered without great labour and deep study, — suchjwe 

 may expect to be the feeling of those who have but first commenced 

 the study, as well as of all the adherents of artificial systems. We do 

 acknowledge that the acquirement of the one is easier than that of 

 the other, the artificial system requiring little mental exertion, be- 

 yond a power of discriminating differences and a memory for names ; 

 the natural, the full scope and employment of the intellectual and 

 reasoning faculties ; but who would not prefer the more difficult 

 path to that of easier access, where the ultimate aim of the first so far 

 surpasses that of the second, the artificial system, at best, being but 

 an index to nature, the other explaining the laws and regulations 

 which govern and guide her ; the first teaches only the discrimination 

 of a species, the latter stops not on this threshhold, but proceeds to 

 shew the precise station such a species occupies in the scale of be- 

 ing, the affinities it possesses to others, and the analogies by which 

 it is related and represented. We may also expect the law of re- 

 presentation, so prominently brought forward by Mr Swainson, will, 

 from its mere novelty, meet with opposition, and be deemed fanci- 



