" Men that undertake only one district are much more likely to advance natural knowledge 

 than those that grasp at more than they can possibly be acquainted with. Every kingdom, 

 every province, should have its own monographer." — Gilbert White. 



"The utility of provincial histories of all kinds is now generally acknowledged to be great, as 

 these are certainly the materials from which a general structure, either of civil, military, or 

 natural history, is to be raised. In no branch of history is this more apparent than in that 

 of Nature." — Rev. George Low. 



" It may be doubted whether the study of animals of particular tracts of country has not 

 contributed, more than any other means, to the advancement of zoological knowledge, especially 

 as regards those important branches of it — the geographical distribution of animals, and the 

 influence of climate, of soil, and of other local circumstances, in determining the range of species 

 the changes of varieties, and the extent and periods of migration." — Prof. Thomas Bell. 



