388 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



a passion amongst naturalists, is a fact attested 

 by the great perfection to which this branch of 

 natural history is brought at the present day; 

 notwithstanding that the habits of these animals, 

 and their abode in damp and unhealthy places, 

 seem alike calculated to make them elude the re- 

 search of man (i). 



The collection of reptiles in the cabinet of 

 natural history, is unquestionably the richest in 

 the world ; it consists of eighteen hundred in- 

 dividuals, belonging to more than five hundred 

 species. But what renders it of incalculable 

 value to the student is, that it contains almost all 

 the individuals from which the beautiful plates 

 of Seba were copied, and that it was from them 

 that Linnaeus composed his descriptions ; here 

 also are to be found the originals which served 

 for the work of M. de la Cepede. 



Reptiles are divided into four orders, namely : 

 chelonians, or tortoises; saurians, which com- 

 prehend the crocodiles, lizards, etc. ; ophidians, 

 or serpents ; and batracians, to which the toads, 

 the frogs, the salamanders, etc. are referred. 



(1) Of the species known, scarcely a fifteenth part are dangerous to 

 man, either on account of their size and voracity, as the crocodile ; or 

 on account of their venom, as the viper. A great number are service- 

 able to him, either from their flesh and their eggs which afford an ex- 

 cellent food, or from their furnishing materials which are employed in 

 the arts. 



