2 Mr. Kirby^s Address at the 



dude, as your taste and turn of mind may lead you, proTided 

 there is no waste of time and talent upon what is trivial and un- 

 interesting, or has been already thoroughly investigated, will be 

 acceptable and valuable. 



There is one of these provinces that I think ought to stand high 

 in the esteem of every patriot Zoologist — I mean the study of the 

 animals that are natives or periodical visitants of his own country. 

 An indigenous Fauna is the first desideratum in our science ; and 

 could a work of this kind be accomplished in every country, re- 

 gard being had to natural boundaries, we might hope to become 

 acquainted with all the principal groups of animals, and get a 

 much more correct idea, than with our present imperfect know- 

 ledge we can attain to, of the genuine Systema Animalium^ with 

 all its affinities and analogies as concatenated and contrasted by its 

 Great Author. 



With respect to Great Britain, in our sister science of Botany 

 a vast deal more has been effected than in Zoology. Our indi- 

 genous Floras, if we may form a judgment from the very few new 

 plants, that after a very general investigation of the three king- 

 doms have been discovered, contain nearly a complete list of its 

 plicenogamoits vegetable productions. In the cryptogamous de- 

 partment more numerous discoveries may be expected ; but still 

 even here the Botanist is before the Zoologist, at least with re- 

 gard to invertebrate animals. The Vertebrata indeed of our 

 islands, with the exception perhaps of those that inhabit our seas, 

 are already, for the most part, well known and described ; and 

 all that seems to be wanted here is a more perfect acquaintance 

 with their manners and economy, and with the varying appear- 

 ances put on by some of them, — I speak particularly of the BirdSy 

 in different periods of their growth. But undescribed British in- 

 vertebrate animals daily flow in upon us in shoals ; and perhaps it 

 would not be speaking too largely were I to assert, that, except- 

 ing the Lepidoptera order in insects (for a more complete know- 

 ledge of which we are indebted to a gentleman near me*) not one 

 in ten, and in some orders not one in twenty, — I speak this with 

 ifegard to insects, and und{;r the eye of a friend + who can correct 

 * Mr. Haworth. t Mr. Stephens. 



