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were to the naturalist what the mariner's compass was to the navigator. 

 It came to the aid of the comparative anatomist, when his need was 

 the sorest and as a most potent factor in the development of the science 

 of histology. By the use of this instrument cell-structure and the 

 great cell theory, as propounded and advanced by Schwann and Darwin, 

 became comprehensible. 



Buffon's Natural History claims the merit of having been the 

 first work to collect the isolated and apparently disconnected facts 

 of this study and present them in a popular and generally intel- 

 ligible form. 



An important revolution in Natural History took place from the 

 institution of Botanic gardens, from the results of the extension of geo- 

 graphical knowledge, from the various scientific expeditions which were 

 sent over the globe under such scientific spirits as Humboldt, Hooker 

 and Darwin. A botanic gai\len of the Royal Dublin Society at 

 Glasnevin was opened in 1796. Glasgow had one in 1818, and the 

 Park and Garden at Kew were instituted in 1730. At the end of the 

 18th century, 1,600 botanic gardens were to be found in Europe. The 

 most important i-esearches in physiological botany had been made by 

 French and German scientists, as their schools affoi'ded facilities not 

 found to the same extent in Great Britain. 



The great Linnaeus taught zoology and botany as branches of 

 knowledge to be studied for their own intrinsic interest. He is known 

 to have been a judicious reformer rather than a discoverer. His 

 influence imbued his students with ardor and enthusiasm, and they 

 went forth to all parts ot the world to try to contribute to the richness 

 of their loved master's lore and to extend his knowledge. 



Linnaeus was the first to attempt the classification of animals ac- 

 cording to certain structural characters, and although this proved very 

 defective, it led to much criticism, and stimulated naturalists to com- 

 prehend the important principle that internal structure, not external 

 appearance, must determine the limits of groups or classes. The great 

 principle of classification as now generally accepted, was first originated 

 by the genius of the great Frenchman, Baron Cuvier (1769-1832), who 

 made a notable advance on his predecessors, and the world owes to him 

 the first systematic application of comparative anatomy to the study of 



