SYSTEM OF NATURE. 
3 
fixed and perfect design. When we consider that each 
muscle, tendon and vein in the animal frame occupies its 
appointed place, and has appointed functions, on the re¬ 
gular performance of which health and often life depend, 
it seems fair to infer that no created being exists without 
occupying also its appointed place, and performing its 
appointed functions in some perfectly organized system, 
however far such system may be above our finite and fee¬ 
ble understanding. To doubt the existence of such a 
system appears to me tantamount to doubting a creation ; 
for one cannot suppose the various tribes of animals to 
have received their existence at the hands of an omnipo¬ 
tent Creator, and at the same time to be indebted to chance 
for those infinitely but harmoniously varied characters 
whereby we distinguish them. 
It may be said that all schemes for the arrangement of 
animals place them following each other in a linear series: 
the line is generally supposed to be a direct one, but there 
are a few exceptions to this : the most striking alterations 
are those proposed by Lamarck, Goldftiss and MacLeay. 
Lamarck’s linear series was double, the lines meeting in a 
point, and thus forming the letter V. MacLeay’s series is cur¬ 
vilinear, the line “ returning into itself: ” the same may be 
said of that proposed by Goldfiiss. Let us examine the best 
linear arrangement that human intellect has yet achieved. 
We find in the e Regne Animal ’ the opossum placed next to 
the morse, the squirrel next to the wombat, the sloth next 
to the paca, the elephant next to the ornithorhynchus, the 
cow-whale next to the ox, the vulture next to the whale, 
the ostrich next to the pigeon, and many other proximities 
equally at variance with our own views; yet be it recol¬ 
lected we must not consider this as a series subject to our 
b 2 
