What remained to he discovered, however, were 'structures', that is, forms, spatial arrangements, the number and size of elements: natural history took upon itself' the task of' mapping them, of transcribing them itt discourse, of' preserving, confronting, and combining them, in order to make it possible, on the one hand, to determine the vicinities and kinships of' living beings (and therefore the unity of' creation) and, on the other, to recognize rapidly any individual (and therefore his unique place in creation).