The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-10-19

reason is this; We see from every point Of view in
which we may regard the animal kingdom-and
shall from this moment limit all my remarks to the
animal Kingdom, In order not 10 trespass beyond the
bounds properly set to this discourse-we see that
man possesses the most complex and most perfect
structure Even his position is remarkable and sig
nihcant Mans erect position in standing or walk
ing shows that he is placed at the head of creation
All the lower animals have a horizontal position.
The fishes move horizontally. Gradually as we as
cend In the scale of animated beings, behold them
raising their heads little. Snakes have no feet but
they are able TO elevate the head and if we proceed
farther, we find successive types in which the posi-
ton becomes an oblque one, until the head is raised
more perpendicuarly. But to man alone is given
the most important positon-the vertical position,
which allows him to make Of his hands and fin
gers and 10 raise his eyes directly toward the hea-
vens. In this very positon--in this material con-
struction OF his body, we have an evidence of the
superiority OF man. But in every respect II we con-
slider his structure, we see that man stands al the
summit of animal being; and that It is just so 10
regurd man as ut the head OF creation, will be ono
object of these lectures
Again, If we consider the construction of animals
upon the surface of our globe we will find that the
lower types have been first createdthat they belong
to the most ancient rocks--that the deepest rocks
contain of the higher animals, and that gradu-
ally some more perfect types were introduced till at
last man was created; and il may be shown geoo-
gcay, by actual investigation and without the slight
reference to any historical sacred tradition that
man has been created the last ~
Again. il 1t cannot be shown from this point of
view that the introduction of man was actually the
object Of the Creator may be at least shown that
man was the last and most perfect work that pro-
ceeded from His Almighty hand. But that 1t was
actually the object of the Creator to introduce man
at the head Of the animal kingdom can, hope, be
shown by combining the knowledge we have acqui-
red with regard TO his physical structure and his
lations with the different other classes Of animals
and with the surface of the globe at large. At no
time do we find in geological epochs species spread
all over the surface OF our globe Every type of ami
mal-every variety Of animal occupies in the geoo-
gica epochs only small portion OF the surface OF
the globe This fact holds true In all geological
times Before the animals now living were created
when races entirely different from them existed
every species was circumscribed within narrow lin
its, and in no case occupied the whole surface of the
globe. No one Of the species of former epochs was
superior TO the whole type Of Its time. At no geoo-
gical epoch do we find one species standing pre-
eminent above others. But ut this present epoch
we find not only that man stands preeminent above
all other Species but that he occupies the whole sur
face of our globe; and in this respect he appears to
be of n superior organization and endowed with
privileges which no type ever enjoyed before him.
But l will not dwell on those general questions
without some more precise foundation. l shall ut
once proceed to call your attention to the varied
types which exist in Nature so as to have actual
g..
ments with which set out may be regarded as the
results Of investigation, and not matter of mere
speculative opinion.
| There is an astonishing variety Of animals upon
the surface of orr globe. This variety Is such that
It il very difficult for the student who for the first
time directs his attention to the subject to perceive
any order. 1t is impossible at first to perceive the
intimate affntes and the near relations which sub
| sist between all these varied formations.
| have here some diagrams giving outlines of a
few Of these formations. just name the subjects
before passing to their characteristics Here we have
the common star-fsh of the Mediterranean sea-
Here we have one Of those jelly-fish so common il,
temperate and warm ATTITUDES. This is species
common in the Atlantic--one Of the species whose
substance is more or less phosphorescent. Here is
Here is cuttle-fsh common on the western shores
| of France. Here are different species of snakes,
some from the East Indies and one from Central
America. Here is clam, very common on the
southwest shores of,Afrca, not the common species
Here is the common lobster Here is worm of
that species having coored blood Here is a spider
Here are several skeletons Of vertebrated animals an
hyena ostrich, crocodile, an enlarged skeleton
Of the bat. do not mention two of these animals
because, although represented SO perfectly they are
not now in existence. They nowhere to be found
on the surface Of the gobe but these representations
have been made from preparations most skilfuly
completed by attaching together isolated bones col
lected in the neighborhood of Paris, and arranged in
to complete animal by the wonderful attachments
of Cuyier in comparative anatomy. Thus these long
extinct species Of animals are MS well known TO u.
as If we had perfect specimens of them in our mnse
UNI. 81
Now on looking at these diagrams, the beginner
in natural history will be struck by the great appa
rent dssimilarity between animals which yet be-
long to the same species. Thus, how little apparen
resemblance between the star-fish and the coral
Then again. the cuttle-fsh, the snail, and the clan
appear to have little in common and yet The aflinit,
between them is 80 close that they appear TO the
naturalist as members of one and the same family
And again. the lobster, the spider and the butterfi,
belong to one and the same tribe. The common
earth-worm is more intimately allied to the crab o
butterfly than to snail or slug. One might thinl
that the eech and the slug were Of very smila
class. Not SO. Mere external appearance ulon,
conveys an idea Of identity. There is by no mean,
any actual relation between them. The animals re
presented in the other diagrams constitute fourth
great division all ultimately allied. The fish and tn
bat the crocodile and the ostrich belong to one grea
type; and the characters by which they may be con
fined are not artificial characters They are not dis