INTRODUCTION. 47 



the authors who have adopted Ellis's views and followed 

 them out with great success. Por a long time, however, 

 naturalists seemed to have rested satisfied with what had 

 been done. The standard work of Ellis was published in 

 1752 ; and that century was allowed to close, and more than 

 a fourth of the present century to pass away, before we had 

 another work on British zoophytes. In 1828, however, my 

 distinguished friend Dr. John Pleming, now Professor of 

 Natural Science in New College, Edinburgh, published his 

 ' History of British Animals,^ and at the close of the volume 

 our little zoophytes pass in array before us; and within 

 small compass he gives an excellent description of them, as 

 the result of liis diligent research and most accurate obser- 

 vation. This admirable book, along with its still more 

 learned forerunner, ^ The Philosophy of Zoology,"* gave new 

 life to natural history, and laid the scientific world under 

 great obligations. " To his labours and writing," says Dr. 

 George Johnston, "1 am inclined to ascribe a very con- 

 siderable share in diffusing that taste for natural history 

 which is now abroad." 



In 1838, ten years after the publication of the ^British 

 Animals,' Dr. George Johnston, previously well known as 

 the author of several works on natural history, published, in 



