SCIENCE. 



5i 



beginning with Endoceras, Gyroceras, Phragmoceras and 

 others characteristic of the Silurian merging into the 

 more elaborate and coiled Goniatites, Nautilus and Ortho- 

 ceratites of the Carboniferous, and into these forms and 

 the Ammonites in the Cretaceous. The latter appear 

 in great elegance and profusion from the Lias. In this 

 and the two succeeding ages in which this family reached 

 its maximum the Ammonite and Nautilus group are rep- 

 resented by a number of genera. The series closes in the 

 multiplicity of Cretaceous forms Ancyloceras, Crioceras, 

 Scafhites, Hamites, Toxoceras and many others. A 

 heavy slab covered with Trigonia is noticeable among 

 the Lamellibranchs. But a mere enumeration of these 

 series and other Invertebrates that have not been 

 mentioned gives but an inadequate impression of their 

 value as a typical collection, which rests so largely, not 

 upon their number but upon their exceptional perfection 

 and completeness. 



From New Zealand are the recent struthious birds, the 

 collection containing many incomplete skeletons of 

 Meinornis,Dinornis and Palapteryx, and completing the 

 series are three fine Moas, one of them standing 8 feet 

 high. There are important remains of Halitheriu7n, 

 Titanotherium and Rhinoceros, the latter from the Black 

 Hills. From the Pleistocene shell marl underlying the 

 peat beds near Limerick is a tall Irish elk, Megaceros 

 Hibcrnicus, quite rare in this country. A cave bear from 

 the south of France is one of the most perfect specimens 

 that has been found. It is mounted complete, the ribs 

 and a few vertebra; alone having been restored. These, 

 with a large mastodon from Hudson, N. Y., a skull of 

 Bos Primigenius, and many scattered Mammalian re- 

 mains give an admirable idea of the Post Pliocene fauna 

 of Europe and America. 



The east wing of the museum is almost entirely filled 

 by the collection. It contains no plaster, but the originals 

 of over 130 of Ward's series of casts. It reflects the 

 greatest credit upon the intelligence and energy of its 

 collector. It will come into immediate service in con- 

 nection with a lately instituted course of lectures upon 

 Palaeontology, and give new impetus to the general in- 

 terest in Biology at Princeton. 



THE CLASSIFICATION OF SCIENCE. 



Rev. Samuel Fleming, LL. D., Ph. D. 

 II. 



PRINCIPLES OF CLASSIFICATION. 

 Science may be properly classified with respect to 

 either the order and facts of nature, or the laws of thought 

 and methods of obtaining the knowledge of facts. In 

 respect to the first basis, the classification may proceed 

 upon the twofold method of arranging the order and laws 

 of phenomena, separately considered, or of considering 

 these in their immediate connection. And while either 

 special method involves the complex process of nature, 

 which is the province of philosophy in the discovery of 

 laws, — the object of classification is to set forth the order 

 of facts and laws which have already been discovered. 

 It is a statement of their connections as brought within 

 the scope of observation, as they stand in their complete- 

 ness of order, while many facts may still remain unknown. 

 Processes are continually going on in the physical realm, 

 as exhibited in the heavens and in the earth. It is hence 

 not a statement of historical development of each par- 

 ticular science, nor of the body of sciences. It is not an 

 arrangement according to the chronological order of dis- 

 covery of the facts. It is not a curriculum or course of 

 study for discipline and acquisition. Such a course is 

 arranged with reference to a harmonious development of 

 mind, and requires the prosecution of diverse studies 

 pursued simultaneously. Yet a proper classification 

 proceeds upon the method of arranging or grouping the 

 subordinate sciences according to both the order of phil- 



osophic inquiry, and of the subordination of facts and 

 principles to the divisions and uses of science from the 

 lower to the higher, and from phenomena to laws and 

 applications. 



Further, any scheme of clasification, founded upon 

 material existences and relations irrespective of the imma- 

 terial entities which give qualities and motion to the 

 material, must be radically defective. The fact of an 

 order of succession in respect to the modification of the 

 primary Force which inheres in matter, is too obvious to 

 need more than a statement of the fact. Thus, in organic 

 existence, the all-related force of Gravity is general, be- 

 ing applied to all bodies, whatever their constituents 

 or mode of combination, while modified forms of this 

 principle are limited to specializations. As at every step 

 in the gradation of material existences, the order of 

 nature is from the inorganic to the organic, so these 

 terms involve the general and the special, and the addi- 

 tion proceeds from the lower and more general forms of 

 force to the higher, more limited and special. Thus, 

 also, in organic being we find Life as a common or gen- 

 eral substance or entity, forming the basis of the general 

 division of science denominated Biology. The lowest 

 specialized form of life pertains to Botany, — the science 

 of organic unconscious vegetal life, including many 

 classes ; the next higher pertains to Zoology, which is 

 the science of that form of organic life, which has con- 

 sciousness and animation, including many classes, and 

 subordinate orders, kinds and species. The highest in 

 gradation of being pertains to Anthropology, the science 

 of the form of organic life which is conscious and 

 rational, limited to mankind. In every higher order a 

 new capacity has been added. It has been a " life unto 

 life." 



This natural order of classification from generals to 

 specials, and from the lower to the higher, may be illus- 

 trated by the following diagrams, commencing with the 

 lower, or gravitation, as in reading the scheme of classifi- 

 cation accompanying this paper : 



( Man=organization + sensation + rational mind. 

 Life, -l Animal=organization + consciousness and sensation. 

 ( Plant=organization. 



( Special : Chemical affinity. 

 Force, -< Special : Cohesion. 



( General : Gravitation. 



The fundamental distinctions of this classification are 

 those which pertain to the body of sciences included in 

 the scheme given. They are first, Ontology, the science 

 of being, or the material or immaterial substances, quali- 

 ties and attributes of universal being. This properly in- 

 cludes not only the general divisions given, but those 

 which relate to the superior orders of being not given, 

 viz.: Angeology, Christology and Theology. A classi- 

 fication of all Science, therefore, embraces these subjects. 

 Ontology includes thtee general divisions : Cosmology, 

 Biology and Anthropology. These are arranged in their 

 natural order, as based upon the succession of imma- 

 terial or spiritual entities united with their respective 

 material forms. Such order is essentially serial : in other 

 words, there is a gradation of existences, as just noticed, 

 and as indicated by the branch and group-descriptive 

 terms given in the body of the scheme, as Physico- 

 dynamic, etc. 



Each general division includes its subordinate divisions 

 or departments. Cosmology, the science of inorganic 

 nature, includes three departments : Physical, Mechani- 

 cal and Chemical Philosophy. The general term.Dyna- 

 mology, formed upon the Greek etymon dunam, is used 

 to designate the science of the immaterial principle, 

 Force, as Biology designates the science of the vital 

 principle, or Life. Biology and Anthropology include the 

 several branches or departments as given. Individuals 

 of a group are allied by some mode, principle or law 

 distinguishing them from others in special respects. 



