COMPARATIVE ANATOMY. 
readily allowed by the most sanguine ad- 
mirers of its illustrious author. Yet it 
must be remembered, that tlie general 
adoption of this method renders it desir- 
able to deviate from it in as few instances 
as possible ; since the introduction of new 
orders and names must necessarily create 
difficulty and confusion in the study of the 
science. The French zoologists, whose 
successful labours in the advancement of 
natural history must be acknowledged with 
every due tribute of respect, have car- 
ried the rage of innovation too far, in 
the universal rejection of the Linnaean me- 
thod, and the unnecessary multiplication of 
new orders and genera. The defects or 
errors of any system could not cause so 
much perplexity and inconvenience as the 
want of a generally received standard, and 
the unlimited licence, in which every indi- 
vidual indulges, of fabricating new clas- 
sifications and ari'angemeuts. To judge 
by some recent works, we should be led to 
suppose, that the merit of a systematic ar- 
rangement of animals does not consist in 
the simplicity or intelligibility of the sys- 
tem ; but is in proportion to the number of 
newly-created terms. 
Animals may be distributed into two 
grand divisions : those which have a verte- 
bral column, and red-blood ; and those 
which have np vertebr®, and are white 
blooded. 
In the fbrnier division there is always an 
interior skeleton ; the chief support of 
which is the column of vertebr®; a spinal 
marrow contained in the vertebral canal j 
never more than four members, of which 
one or both pairs are wanting in some 
instances. The brain is contained in a cra- 
nium : there is a great sympathetic nerve ; 
five senses ; two moveable eyes ; and three' 
semicircular canals in the ear. The circu- 
lation is performed by one muscular ventri- 
cle at least. There are lymphatic as well 
as blood vessels. The jaws being placed 
horizontally, the mouth is opened by their 
moving from above downwards, or from 
before backwards. There is a continuous 
alimentary canal, extending from the mouth 
to the anus, which is always placed behind 
the pelvis ; peritoneum ; liver, spleen, and 
pancreas ; two kidneys, and renal capsules ; 
and two testicles. 
The vertebral animals are subdivide4 
into the warm and cold-blooded. 
AFarm blooded vertebral animals have 
two ventricles in the heart, and a double 
circulation; and breathe by means of 
lungs. The cranium is completely filled 
by the brain. The eyes are closed by eve- 
lids. The tympanum of the ear is hollowed 
out of the cranium, and the labyrinth is 
excavated in the bone. Besides the semi- 
circular canals, the ear has a cochlea. The 
nostrils communicate with the fauces, and 
allow the pftssage of air into the lungs. 
The trunk is constantly fiumished with ribs. 
In cold blooded vei’tebral animals the 
brain never entirely fills the cranium. The 
eyes seldom possess moveable eyelids. 
When the tympanum exists, it is on a level 
with the surface of the head. There is no 
cochlea. The different parts of the ear 
are connected but loosely to the cranium. 
The division of warm blooded animals 
contains two classes; Mammalia and Birds. 
The mammalia are viviparous, and suckle 
their young, from which circumstance the 
name is derived. They have an uterus with 
two cornua; and the male has a penis. 
There are two occipital condyles, con- 
necting the head to the atlas : never less 
than six, nor more than nine cervical ver- 
tebra : a very complicated brain ; four 
ossicula auditus, and a spiral cochlea. The 
skin covered with hair. A muscular dia- 
phragm separates the chest and abdomen. 
There is an epiglottis. The lower jaw only 
moves. The fluid in the lacteals is white, 
and passes through several conglobate 
glands. There is an omentum. 
Blumenbach establishes the following or- 
ders in this class ; 
I. Bimanum. Two handed. 
Genus 1. Homo. 
II. Quadrumana, four handed animals ; 
having a separate thumb, capable of being 
opposed to tlie other fingers, both in their 
upper and lower extremities. Teeth like 
those of man, except that the cuspidati are 
generally longer. 
1. Simiae, apes, monkeys, baboons, 
2. Lemur, macauco. 
III. Bradypoda, slow-moving animals. 
1. Bradypus, sloth. 
2. Myrmecophaga, ant-eater. 
3. Manis, scaly-lizard, or pangolin. 
4. Dasypus or Tatu, armadillo. 
This order forms two in the arrangement 
of Cuvier. 1 st. Tardigrada ; which includes 
the sloths. There are no incisors in either 
jaw; there is a complicated stomach, but 
no rumination. 2dly. Edentata, toothless 
animals. Some of these have no teeth ; 
others want the incisores and cuspidati. 
The tongue is long, slender, and projectile. 
