Xvi. MEMOIR OF THOMAS SAY. 



mio-ht liave acquired a taste for classical literature, which 

 would not only have tended to increase his influence in so- 

 ciety, but which would have furnished him with the means 

 of usefulness, proportioned to the extent and variety of his 

 acquirements in natural knowledge. But he appeared not 

 to have been fully sensible of his deficiency until it was too 

 late to supply it. As it is the nature of a favourite occupa- 

 tion, long continued, to absorb the attention, to the exclu- 

 sion of other pursuits, so Mr. Say's passion for discoveries 

 became so predominant, that any attempt to change his 

 habits of thinking would have proved as vain as efi"orts to 

 control the natural affections of his heart. 



There are two classes of readers to whom the major part of 

 writers on zoology, of the present day, address themselves : 

 the reader for pastime, and the scientific naturalist. Now 

 that it is possible to conciliate the good opinion of both these 

 classes, is proved by the success of some publications of re- 

 cent date, in which strict attention has been paid to nomen- 

 clature, arrangement and definition, and in which the habits 

 of the animals have been detailed with all the fidelity of 

 truth, and in all the charms of diction. 



That even in works on Entomology these two objects are not 

 incompatible, the most indifferent observer of those insects, 

 with which we are familiar, must be fully sensible of; for 

 who that takes the pains to note the industry and economy 

 of the honey-bee, or the patience and skill of spiders, will 

 hesitate to confess, that lessons of wisdom may be derived 

 from objects which our self love would fain induce us to 

 consider as too insignificant for our regard ! 



The reason of Mr. Say's having written so little of the 

 habits and economy of the subjects of his papers, may be 

 derived from the diflficulty of expression, which all those ex- 

 perience who are not familiar with the rules of language, 

 and the practice of good writers. Many a valuable idea is 

 suffered to lie dormant in the mind, for the want of a suita- 

 ble vehicle to communicate it. And, it may be added, not- 

 withstanding the sneers of our modern pseudo-philosophers, 



