Starh^s Elements of Natural History. 16*5 



abling them to identify and class the greater number of species they are 

 likely to meet with. 



This work, from the multifarious nature of its contents, is scarcely sus- 

 ceptible of analysis ; as it is itself a scientific analysis of all the late disco- 

 veries and improvements in Natural History. Combining with the gene- 

 ral views of Cuvier the investigations of other writers on the different de- 

 partments of Nature, we are presented, under the modest title of Elements, 

 with a connected view of the Animal Kingdom, characters of nearly the 

 whole genera, and the greater portion of the ascertained species. With- 

 out entering into details upon the minutiae of generic and specific distinc- 

 tions, we shall give a short analytical view of the principal classes. 



Natural History, Mr Stark remarks, in its most extensive sense, includes 

 the whole material world. k\\ that is on the earth or around it — the atmo- 

 sphere — the heavenly bodies — land and water — is the province of the natu- 

 ralist. The attributes of animated beings, — the constituent principles of 

 unorganized bodies and their afllnities, — the " stars in their courses,"-— 

 and even man himself, whose power and intelligence raises him so far 

 above the level of the beings around him, and connects him with the Supreme 

 Intelligence, is in his mortal part subjected to the same general laws which 

 regulate the other parts of the organized creation, and his history, animal 

 and intellectual, forms part of the great science of nature. " A field so exten- 

 sive, compared with the limited powers of the human faculties, is too vast 

 for the subject of individual research ; and in detail, its objects are so nu- 

 merous, that to possess a knowledge of even a small portion of these, has 

 been considered a competent task for a life spent in investigation." 



In this view all the sciences have their origin in the study of nature ; 

 but to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge, it has become matter of ne- 

 cessity to subdivide and arrange the objects of the material world into por- 

 tions suitable to the human pov/ers. Hence has originated the division of 

 Physical Science into Natural Philosophy, — Chemistry, — and Natural His- 

 tory, properly so called fnihe last being limited to the consideration of the 

 Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Kingdoms, as they have not unappropri- 

 ately been termed. " To examine and arrange these in connection with 

 the laws by which they are governed ; to investigate their structure, their 

 history, and their uses, is the province of the naturalist." Natural History 

 is besides distinguished from the other itvvo great divisions of physical 

 science, in that, while the several branches of Natural Philosophy rest 

 chiefly on calculation, and Chemistry on experiment, its basis rests princi- 

 pally upon observation. 



The term Nature^ Mr S. remarks, bears various significations. It is 

 sometimes used to signify the properties which a being derives from ori- 

 ginal conformation in opposition to those which it has acquired from art ; 

 sometimes to express the whole objects which compose the universe ; at 

 other times the laws which regulate this universe ; and these laws being, 

 in point of fact, the will of that beneficent and omnipotent Being who 

 formed all this " gay creation," the word Nature is frequently employed 

 by a figure of speech to designate its Great Author. 



The first great division of natural objects is into organic and inorganic 



