Alternative Divisions

摘要

The game of scientific classification is something like Twenty Questions. You begin by naming one of Linnaeus's three kingdoms-Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral-and proceed by splitting it into ever smaller subsets. An animal, you say? Well, does it have a backbone? Yes. Does it breathe water? No. Is it warmblooded? Yes. With feathers? Yes. Flying? No. Taller than a man? Yes. Alive today? Yes. Then it must be an ostrich, Struthio camelus. Next question.