CONCLUDING REMARKS. 479 



the variations of action resulting from those modifica- 

 tions. The acquisition of such knowledge will no doubt 

 be less rapid than that of mere specific and generic 

 marks derived from a superficial examination ; but a 

 knowledge of twenty birds obtained by observing their 

 form, structure and habits, will afford more pleasure to 

 the student than all the technicalities of an entire sys- 

 tem, graduated and organized secundum artem ; secun- 

 dum naturam it certainly could not be in the present state 

 of science. It is true that every student cannot obtain 

 recent specimens of every bird ; but he can easily con- 

 trive to procure some of almost every family of those of 

 his own country at least ; and the minute examination 

 of even one species of an order will render him a better 

 ornithologist than if he could merely name all the spe- 

 cimens in a museum. A most erroneous notion seems 

 to prevail, that he who knows the greatest number of 

 objects by name is the best naturalist ; and a man who 

 can rattle over the designations of a thousand birds, 

 insects or shells, is held to be a prodigy of wisdom. 



A worse eiTor has been countenanced by some, who 

 ought to be its most strenuous opponents. It has been 

 alleged that the study of Nature leads to infidelity and 

 scepticism ; but every person who has devoted his at- 

 tention to any branch of natural history, and especially 

 of zoology, knows that he has thereby obtained a 

 clearer view of the perfections of God. It is true 

 there is a spiritual knowledge that cannot be obtained 

 by studying Nature ; and I will not suffer myself to be 

 represented as saying any thing that would tend to ele- 

 vate the most enlightened philosopher over the most 



