554 
A nalyses of Books. 
[September, 
Le Monde Animal * Par Madame Stanislas Meunier. Paris : 
Hachette et Cie. 
This work belongs to a series which is appearing under the title 
“ Bibliotheque des Ecoles et des Families.” It consists of a 
series of sketches of some of the most remarkable animals, or 
of those which in the character of friends or of enemies intervene 
most closely in human interests. As a preliminary, we find a 
short seCtion on classification, thoroughly Cuvierian, and therefore 
thoroughly out of date. 
The animal kingdom is divided into four great groups, the 
mollusca being made to rank second, and all the remaining 
invertebrates, except the articu’ata, being summed up as 
zoophytes. The authoress, however, admits the necessity of 
adding a fifth class for the protozoa. For the apes in general, 
the name quadrumana is retained, little consideration being given 
to the anomaly of ascribing the name “ hand ” to an extremity 
provided with a true heelbone. 
In her description of the elephant, the authoress makes the 
strange remark that the Hindoos and English still utilise these 
animals “ in this barbarous manner,” i.e., in battle. Here she is 
mistaken : elephants are doubtless employed in our Eastern 
army in transporting artillery, but they are never caused to take 
part in aCtion. 
In describing the horse, she writes : <l The Arab horse, the 
English horse, like the heavy Norman horse, the ass, the hippo- 
potamus, and the swine belong to the order of ordinary pachy- 
derms.” We do not see the advantage of keeping up this 
arrangement. They might better have been grouped together 
as the odd-toed animals. 
The description of domestic poultry is embellished with an 
engraving of a cock-fight. Though nothing is said in the text 
concerning the nationality of the scene, yet the costumes of the 
spectators too plainly proclaim them as Englishmen. Alas, we 
cannot accuse Madame Meunier of having slandered us ; ultra- 
humanitarian, or rather bestiarian England, which objects to the 
inflidtion of pain and death in the cause of science, is now experi- 
encing a revival of cock-fighting, and very tenderly does she deal 
with the offenders ! 
The description of the carrier pigeon and its exploits leads the 
authoress not unnaturally to an account of certain painful 
episodes of the siege of Paris. 
The chapter on venomous serpents is not free from marks of 
exaggeration. Thus it can scarcely be admitted that the exist- 
ence of powerful antidotes against their venom is demonstrated. 
The character of the toad is effectively vindicated from the 
superstitious accusations brought against him in France as well 
* The Animal World. 
