44 Dr. Smitn’s Introductory Difcourfe. 
Two fuperb publications were fet on foot by royal munificénce 
in Denmark, Regenfufs’s hiftory of fhells, and the Flora Danica. 
The former has, I think, the fuperiority in point of execütion over 
moft works in natural hiftory, except, perhaps, Baron Born’s ac- 
count of the {hells in the Imperial Mufeum at Vienna. The Flora 
Danica, while under the direction of Ocder, was equally well exe- 
cuted; but Profeffor Muller, more of a zoologift than a botanift, 
continued it with lefs care and perfection. Its reputation will, I 
doubt not, foon be abundantly reftored by the abilities of Profeffor 
Vahl, to whofe care it is now entrufted. | 
We muft now look back a little to endeavour to do juftice to 
fome great names in zoology. The age of Linnzus has been no 
lefs brilliant in this branch of natural hiftory than in botany: but 
before I enter upon the works of his immediate difciples or followers, 
I muft fpeak of his adverfary Klein, who objected to feveral of his 
alterations in zoology, with more reafon on his fide than any of 
the botanical opponents of Linnzus ever had; ftill his remarks 
have not been much attended to. He alfo, like all the other ad- 
verfaries of our great teacher, laboured to find out contradiétions 
in his works; as if the irregularities of Nature were to be laid to 
the charge of him, whofe works and whofe fyftem are often ob- 
fcure, merely from their confonancy with Nature. Klein deferves 
great praife for his multifarious works in zoology; he has left 
{carcely any part of the fcience untouched, and has treated it both 
fyftematically and phyfiologically. iy 
I haften to a bright ornament of our own country, the ingenious, 
accurate and patientEllis, whofe difcoveries relating to corallines form 
one of the moft interefting events in the natural hiftory of the 
prefent century, and whofe name will ever be revered while fcien- 
tific or perfonal merit are held in efteem. Nor is it poffible for me, 
-in paying this tribute to the memory of Mr. Ellis, to forget his 
friend 
