New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-10-30
THE TABERNACLE COURSE.
The Grrdr ZION. Of the Animal Kingdom.
By PROFESSOR AcAssiz.
m CT .....-. - chic oourgp WAS n

The Second Lecture of this course was de-
hvered last evening before a numerous snd attentive
audience by Professor AcAssIz, OF Harvard unFeFs'y
Profess or commenced his lecture with the remark
that the great diversics in the Animal Kingdom pre-
sented the hrst difficulty in the way OF The scien'hc
inquirer When we look at The bouBd'ess variety oil
animal life which found the surface OF the esrih
in the air and in The water seek for some principle
Of affinity by which the different orders may be cassi
fed IN doing this we must take INFO account not
only The eSernsl differences which appear but the IN
terual structure the mode Of production and growth
the organs of uuirton and in short everything which
exhibits a Characteristic mark OF distinction rcscn
blauce
An obvious peculiarly is furnished first view, by
the Organs Of locomo,on suG thus class together all
animals with four legs quadrUpeds we easily form
also q separate group OF birds, but when come 70
oxrrnine the inferior orders il Is difficult 10 deeci
leading feature, by which they can be arranged Il
was not unit. after the contributions OF the immortal
Cr1rR 70 the science of Natural History, that accu
ra,e system was established That great man divided
the aninsl kingdom into four leading classes according
10 the general plan of structure which rules In each
These are the radid:d cllRscd aTicalad AMI reeora
ia The radic,c prcsent the most imperfect specimens
of animal organization The structure which shows no
traces Of nervous system, proceeds from cen1ra
point and rndiates as It were to common periphery.
Hence the name Types of this order found in the
polype the starfsh and the jellydsh. The ~OIIascd
form gradation Of higher character. They have
rarnl circulation Of the blood they breathe through
piIs and exhibit the outlines of nervous system The
three classes into which mouscous animals are divided
may be represented by the clam, the snail and the
cuttle.fsh The drticulGtG are so called from the
body and limbs being composed of separate parts or
Joints and are also subdivided into three elssses-
worms crustacca, and insects. The rerteora'd com
nose the highest order OF animal structure They dis
tnguished by the possession OF vertebrd column
pervaded by nervous tissue, which communicates WI d
the brain This order is divided into fishes birds, rep
tiles and mammalia. But although there Is an ascend
ing gradaton in these orders considered in their gcner
al functions and structure it mistake to suppose that
they form continuous series The chain is often inter
rupted by imperfect unequal links. As a whole, each
order is superior to the next below it in the classified
ton butt is alsotue that there individual classes IN
lower order superior to other individual classes IN
higher order This point, well as the specific proper
ties OF the different orders explained al length by
Prof A. and Illustrated by diagrams on the blackboard
greatly TO the satisfaction OF the audience In the clos
ing portions of the lecture Prof A. considered the sub
ject of fossil remains in connection with the views he
had presented and terminated his remarks amidst the
applause OF the audience.
Prof Agassiz speaks with remarkable huency and
ease with slight foreign accent and often rising to
chaee eoquence belonging TO the appropriate sphere oil
scientific discussion. His 'mmand of the English
language in extemporaneous discourse is no less strk
Ing than his evident familiarity with the whole wide do
main OF Natural History.