ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL LITERATURE. 463 



hosts of treatises in transactions and magazines, the laborious research required 

 for compiling anything like a complete or satisfactory catalogue of these would 

 absorb more time, patience, and money than most men would be willing to de- 

 vote to the undertaking. Even supposing it once accomplished, the list would, 

 in our estimation, be more interesting than useful. For although some of our 

 most eminent naturalists in every department have long been in the habit of 

 communicating the result of their scientific investigations to the public through 

 the medium of periodical publications of various sizes and characters, yet the 

 substance of these papers is in a short time sure to be incorporated in all the best 

 standard and elementary works on the subject. In fact we may go so far as to 

 observe, that the perusal of these isolated treatises, some years after their pub- 

 lication, would be almost as useless and absurd as the attempt to obtain a com- 

 petent knowledge of Natural History, at the present day, from the writings of 

 Aristotle or Pliny. 



The cases we have adduced are, indeed, similar in kind, though doubtless not 

 in degree. The works of Aristotle and Pliny are not only surprising produc- 

 tions, but they were of incalculable service during their generation ; and, in days 

 of yore, he who wished to become a good naturalist, repaired, as a matter of 

 course, to the writings of these venerable authors. And no one will venture to 

 call in question the expediency — nay the necessity — of such a proceeding. We 

 venerate the works of Aristotle and Pliny as well for their antiquity as for 

 the inestimable services which they have, beyond all doubt, rendered to the study 

 of Nature's works. We should even be glad to possess a good English version of 

 Pliny's Natural History*, but we should be very sorry to place it in the hands 

 of a beginner. Let us, however, proceed with our retrospect of zoological liter- 

 ature, commencing with general and complete works on the animal kingdom. 



From the circumstance of Mr. Hanway being a gentleman of fortune, and 

 especially from the extensive nature of his wishes, we presume he intends col- 

 lecting an extensive natural-historical library rather than to procure the smallest 

 number of books whereby to become acquainted with the science upon which he 

 proposes to enter, and our observations will be written accordingly, though we 

 neither are able nor desire to supply a complete catalogue. 



After having possessed himself of the works of the ancients, the student will 

 find himself compelled to make a very long skip, the next general zoological 

 treatise of any value being the Systema Naturce of LinnjEUs. This book may 

 still be studied with advantage. It is only valuable at the present day as giving 



* We are informed that such an undertaking is in contemplation. If illustrated by wood-cuts, 

 well translated, published in monthly part3, and, lastly, at a cheap rate, wc have very little 

 doubt but it would succeed. 



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