He was, therefore, well acquainted with all that is known to the naturalist concerning these animals; and at the request of his brothers he consented to while away the twilight hours, by imparting to them such information about them as he himself possessed.
"The alligator," began he, "belongs to the order _Sauria_, or lizards.
This order is again divided into several families, one of which is termed _Crocodilida_, or crocodiles; and the family of crocodiles is subdivided into three genera, each of which has several species." "How many species in all ?" demanded Basil.
"There are not more than a dozen varieties of the whole crocodile family--at least, there are not more known to naturalists." "Then I was thinking why there should be all this division and subdivision into orders, families, genera, and species, for a dozen varieties of the same animal, and these all so like each other in shape and habits--are they not so ?" "They are," answered Lucien, "very similar in their characteristics." "Then, why so much classing of them?
It appears to me to be quite useless." "The object of this classing is to make the study of their natural history more easy and simple.

But you are right, brother, in the present case; it appears quite useless, and only renders the thing more complex, and obscure.

Where there are many varieties or species of a family or order of animals, and where these species differ widely from each other in appearance and habits, then such minute classifications become necessary to assist one's memory; but I say again, brother, you are quite right as to the present case.

There is no need for the numerous divisions and subdivisions which have been made of the crocodile family." "Who made them, then ?" asked Francois.
"Who!" exclaimed Lucien, with some warmth; "who but _closet_- naturalists, old mummy-hunters of museums! Bah! it makes one angry." As Lucien said this, his usually mild countenance exhibited an expression of mingled indignation and contempt.
"What is there in it to make one angry ?" inquired Basil, looking up at his brother with some astonishment.
"Why, to think," answered Lucien, "that these same closet-naturalists should have built themselves up great names by sitting in their easy chairs measuring, and adding up, and classing into dry catalogues, objects which they knew very little about; and that little they obtained from the observations of others--true naturalists--men like the great Wilson--men who toiled, and travelled, and exposed themselves to countless dangers and fatigues for the purpose of collecting and observing; and then for these men to have the fruits of their labours filched from them, and descanted upon in dry arithmetical terms by these same catalogue-makers .-- Bah!" "Stay, brother; Wilson was not robbed of the fruits of his labours! He became famous." "Yes, and he died from the struggles and hardships that made him so.

It reminds me of the fabled song of the swan, brother.