PREFACE. IX 



submittit capreas non semper edules." My late friend, 

 the Rev. Dr. Goodall, when he was Provost of Eton, 

 impressed on my memory a rule of pronunciation, which 

 it may be here useful to repeat. It is, that in words 

 which end in inus, .and are derived from the names of 

 animals, the last syllable but one is generally long (as in 

 Neritina and anatinus), while in those words which have 

 a similar termination, but are derived from vegetable or 

 mineral names (such as lanthina and crystallinus) , the 

 penultimate syllable is generally short. The first are 

 Latin, and the last are Greek forms. I have also 

 endeavoured to render as literally as possible the 

 English meaning of all generic and specific names, 

 although the barbarisms are nearly as frequent in the 

 nomenclature of natural history as they are in the 

 materia medica. 



The way in which the name of the great Swedish 

 naturalist and founder of scientific classification ought 

 to be spelt has been long the subject of controversy. It 

 was originally Linnmus ; but on his receiving a patent 

 of nobility, he assumed the name of Linne. The latter 

 name is given in the twelfth (and most perfect) edi- 

 tion of the " Systema Naturse;^^ and in aU his subse- 

 quent works and correspondence he always used this 

 title of distinction. The learned Society which bears 

 his name in this country is Linnean and not Linnsean, 

 as appears by their charter and Transactions. Under 

 these circumstances, I have adopted the name which he 



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