296 ON THE CLASSES OF THE 



division. Now this could hardly be the case were the 

 Annulosa to be considered with propriety as modifications 

 of the vertebrated structure. On the other hand those An- 

 nulose animals which respire by tracheae, and, in short, 

 coincide in no one point of organization with a Vertebrated 

 animal, are nevertheless the most active and industrious of 

 the group, although this activity and this industry appear to 

 be of a totally different nature from what may be observed 

 among the Vertebrata. It is difficult, indeed almost impos- 

 sible, to account for all this, unless we consider every Verte- 

 brated animal to have been constructed by the great Creator 

 with reference to one type, and every Annulose with re- 

 ference to another; and as the former is more imper- 

 fect in its organization according as it approaches to 

 the Annulose structure, so the latter is more imper- 

 fect in proportion as it possesses a distinct system of 

 circulation and those other characteristics of the Vertebrata. 

 It thus follows that the animals which connect them 

 ought to be extremely imperfect in their organization ; and 

 this conclusion is evidently borne out by the stupid, sluggish 

 Annelides, in which the organs of sense are scarcely visible, 

 and those of motion are not nearly so perfect as in the larvae 

 of Insects. Lastly, we shall in this manner be able to ac- 

 count for the many extraordinary violations of natural order 

 which have from time to time been committed by first-rate 

 comparative anatomists; violations indeed so palpable as 

 to render such authors, as is well known, among the very 

 worst authorities for the arrangement of the Unvertebrated 

 animals. If we however attribute their errors to the im- 

 proper reference they are accustomed to make of all ani- 

 mal structures to one type, namely Man, I think we shall 

 not be far from the true reason why their works ought 



