PROFESSOR OF INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 49 
ten on the subject. I have some strength left to 
sacrifice for the common advantage; I have had some 
experience and practice in writing works of this kind; 
my herbarium is one of the richest in existence; my 
numerous collection of shells is almost the only one 
in France the specimens of which are determined and 
named according to the method adopted by modern 
naturalists—finally, I am in a position to profit by all 
the aid which is to be found in the National Museum 
of Natural History. With these means brought to- 
gether, I can then hope to prepare in a suitable man- 
ner this interesting work. 
“T had at first thought that the work should be 
executed by a society of naturalists; but after having 
given this idea much thought, and having already the 
example of the new ency yclopzedia, I am convinced 
that in such a case the work would be very defective 
in arrangement, without unity or plan, without any 
harmony of principles, and that its composition might 
be interminable. 
“Written with the greatest possible conciseness, 
this work could not be comprised in less than eight 
volumes in 8vo, namely: One volume for the quad- 
rupeds and birds; one volume for the reptiles and 
fishes; two volumes for the insects; one volume for 
the worms (the molluscs, madrepores, lithophytes, 
and naked worms); two volumes for the plants; one 
volume for the minerals: eight volumes in all. 
“It is impossible to prepare in France a work of 
this nature without having special aid from the na- 
tion, because the expense of printing (on account of 
the enormous quantity of citations and figures which 
it would contain) would be such that any arrange- 
ment with the printer or the manager of the edition 
could not remunerate the author for writing such an 
immense work. 
“Tf the nation should wish to print the work at its 
own expense, and then give to the author the profits 
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