Index

This is one page of the index to Volume 1 of the collection. These pages include the sixth and seventh orders of mammals as classified by Cuvier which are pachyadermes and ruminants respectively. The index covers several pages and lists every species mentioned in the volume. The entire collection is organized based on relationships between the different orders. The precisely laid out index makes the text easy to navigate and also allows for the look-up of a species by its relation to other species rather than just its name, which may have made it easier to use. Notably, there are entries for animals that were known to be extinct, like the mastadon, as well as living animals, like elephants. Many of the orders and relationships laid out by Cuvier are still used today in modern zoological taxonomies. Cuvier's taxonomy was highly influenced by Carl Linneaus and the emphasis on classification that came out of the enlightenment period.