The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-10-30
THE LECT URE SEAS ON.
Professor Agassiz the Graduation Of the
Animal King dom.


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Professor Agassiz the Graduation OF the,
Animal Kingdom.
Yesterday evening Professor Agasz delivered lecture
the above subject at the Broadway Tabernacle to
very large and ctable audience This is the
of the series Of lectures which be given at this
building during the fall and winter. The Rev. Dr. Bur-
cbard occupied the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said IL requested to state that tho
next lecture will be delivered by John Thompson Esq,
Friday evening next This is alteration from tho
rule hicb TO have lecture delivered on each
Wedne day evening during the coming fall and winter;
but next week the election week it is thought
postpone the next lecture to the time stated
have great pleasure in introducing to you PROFESSOR
Agasszi Of Hartford College.
Professor AGAssz, who, coming forward was loudly
cheered said
Ladies and Gentlemen-As the study Of the
animal kingdom attracted extensively the attention
investigators the chief object scientific view
ASCERTAIN the and diversity dierent
1t apparent that unless the most ers-
verpg attention bestowed to this study 1t would
be quite possible for mankind to become acquainted
wi b all its diversitiesfor the of animals which
exist at present upon the tn may be counted by
hurd, and thousands, but by hundreds of thousands
and It oud therefore require the greatest ingenuity to
ioim methods by which to represent tnat dversty lin
surh mauner az TO render the study OF access
But his rhe object which had to be attained aud
t. wbicb if ,otiiee science applied themseys,
mot nty they devised cassiacatioDs and attempted
to tre ,cpethtr these Of animals which most
reseu bed auo' hsf to compare them with one
aIotbtr. 10 recognise their most prominent cha
iscteristcs ana 90 arrange them in natural sys-
tens. Dut The more they advanced in tns
study the il found necessary to take into con-
sideraon MOI of the xtl na appearances of those diff
fertnt bu also he int ernal ucture wheu
by perseyeriDs investigations the organization Of the
inner form OF the animal kngcom had become kuoyn
extensively the external form IL was found
that still other con,iderations would improve
knowledge Of the arimal kingdom Their mode Of
growth wss to be considered their remains, a.
buried in the strata forming tho solid crust
Of our globe we're TO be examined and with The
living and from all this study IL oovious
that There was in the animal Kingdom living idea winch
might he studied with advantage before deep in.
sight in the study of all these things had been obtaned
We had to pass through very orde& and
dey oed to investigation oI general re-
suits OF which only have been generally ed ia the
community whist the details ot these Investigations
have 7. the spocl object aui the study IL hose
who voted thegnfcves to the invest gaous natural
history viii not venture to tire you With 40 sount
OF all these Investigations but will proceed al opceio i've
you idea the diyersity which exists among ami
mas now iSlng upon the earth, aud the characteri,-
ties by which their growth may be recognzed
the anties relations which exist among ID am all
when the mere external form OF animals was alone
considered IL was very natural that those promi-
nent parts Of the bodies OF animals should be taken as
expression Of their affinity. For instance all ami
mails who have four legs become class. aad called
quadrupeds And. indeed II so from the first All
ANIMALS or in' anoe VINO "el upon ionr legs we're ar
ranged together without any other reference to the diff
together aud constituted group with which al
familiar, ana to which only q few additions
ADDED, which do not properly belong to them For
example bats were added to that class without
any direct affinity existing between them Bat il Was
chiefly among the lower and inferior OF animals
that il became difficult to find the living features By
which TO combine those many forms which existed all
over the world and until comparative anatomy, the
study OF the t~hor o1gani2ttto Of animals, had
advanced very far natural classification OF
these animals obtained. II not before Cuver
bad discovered that all animals are constructed
upon four distinct plans. that the internal
history Of the animal kingdom began to have a sofia
fouDdation and to be nationally studied positive
science but that hero Of science discovered that animals
not only different by external appearances and by
internal notifications Of their structures but that the
plan upon wbcn they formed IL upon one. but
upon four distinct plans Of organization to which all the
diversi;es Of animals have been reduced and these
four plans may be easily studied and as soon as
their pecuarities known nothing Ia easar
refer auy of the innnere ferns which exist TO THAR
proper place and following In the prn ,ples OF
that Classification to assign to each group its natural
position Cuvier has recognized four ciasos OF animals
which are Is follows THE radiata the mopsca the
aIticuata and the vertebrate. When wo consider the
externsls OF higher animals, there is most remark
able symmetry In which we recognize right and
left, above and below, that all parts sppear
etricay the two sides Of axis This
Is the with all animals for there those in
which find centre around which all the organs are
arIsrgeo those animals constitute that inferior
which We call rsoaia For instance, In the scuttle fish
there Is mouth in the centre and all the digestive
cavity s placed mme edately above the mouth We have
here region which may be called head no extremity
called the tail Distinguish between light and
left between posterior anterior distinguish
In the positions Of these beings In all the
groups Of the snpa Kingdom there symmetry. We may
ognse the right and the left and In proportion
az these regions or less marked we and also
that prominent and that the above
below i more distinct. The lecturer then weut
on TO describe board the ainites and siiutes
of the tour clasees OF animals, aud contended tina.
the assertion Of Cuyier, that the animal kingdom
divided into four distinct and different classes
correct proceeded 60 sayhs study ~ the rank OF
the animal kingdom Acquires additional value whar
consider these animals which have disappeared from
sbe surface OF our globe and which buried in the
strata forming the crust Of this planet Those contained
In the lowest strata II has been imagined by phiosophers
the first created but this suppostion has been
overturned by modern science, which oscloses tho
fact, which is of great importance, that tia.
lowest strata contains radiata, rolusca, articuia,
and vertsbrata, and not only these four great ei-
visions. but also polypi and star fishes. In tne
lowest have bivalve shells and chamber ses
crustacia shells In the very lowest but very
So and in the very lowest ird os
class OF fishes BY this II will oe seen tns. .us s1
which pervades the animal Kingdom st tne Prens
Is the same which was displayed at the is @
az animals upou esrth The same theutn', r.n naS
4 rIanned the arrangement Of animals now hytnk AnL
h.h has assioned TO their different ra e eir repso-
wmcn nss =, ,hs ssme vbi,h has laid ort from thss
,n, The idea which pervades the traN tormation OF
veg aas va 500 everywhere mind active in
- 80 CIV, The b, ginning az nov, thrrugh al time and
" ' Wy I'd bays evidence Of the Creator, In space IN
49, ~ & In every individual - veal rs 10 the wa0ie sni.
\ ma eres estion (Loud cheers
! The audience then stparatt-