Ixx PROCEEDINGS OF THE 
bientét dans le méme oubli oi sont tombées les hypothéses et les 
théories qui les avaient précédées, et qu’aprés quelque temps, les 
écrits ou on les a exposées ne sont plus recherchés que par les 
curieux qui ne veulent ignorer aucun trait de histoire des sciences, 
laquelle n’est que trop souvent l’histoire des aberrations de l’esprit 
humain.” 
But if general systems are now too vast and comprehensive to be 
interfered with by the zoologist or botanist who cannot devote his 
life to the subject, he may, by limiting his researches to such 
portions as he can thoroughly investigate—to monographs of new or 
imperfectly known species, genera, or orders—supply contributions 
of the highest value to the science. If any naturalist has the oppor- 
tunity of examining or studying any little-known animal or plant, or 
any group hitherto comparatively neglected or misunderstood, if he 
will draw up his descriptions from actual observation of specimens, 
carefully collating all that has been previously published on the sub- 
ject, comparing the subjects of his investigation with allied species 
or groups—not with their published descriptions only, but with actual 
specimens, attaching more importance to giving good characters to 
the groups he forms than to multiplying their names, and, above all, 
taking every precaution to insure accuracy of detail, and verifying, by 
repeated examination of different specimens, every observation which 
may be new or at variance with those of his predecessors, he may be 
sure that his labours will be duly appreciated. Papers of this kind, 
when not attractive as works of art, are indeed not generally remu- 
nerative to their publishers; but we should always consider it a legi- 
timate application of our funds to insert them in our Transactions or 
in our Journal, with more or less of illustration according to their 
scientific interest or importance. 
Amongst zoological monographs which have been most recently 
published, Mr. Busk has called my attention to the completion of 
Mr. Gould’s splendid work on the Trochilide, unrivalled in the 
beauty and fidelity of the plates, and containing in the introductory 
portion an interesting and compendious account of the distribution 
and classification of Humming-birds. In the subkingdom Mollusca, 
the elaborate memoir of M. Lacaze-Duthiers (whom you have just 
elected into one of the vacancies among our Foreign Members) on 
the Anatomy and Embryology of Vermetus has added much to our 
knowledge of Molluscan organization. Under Crustacea I should 
notice Professor Leydig’s Natural History of the Daphnide; and 
under Arachnida, Professor Leuckart’s important memoir on the 
Structure and Development of the Pentastomata, and Dr. Pagen- 
