RISE AND PROGRESS OF ZOOLOGY. 19 



the customs of the natives, — studied and ana- 

 lysed their language, — made astronomical observ- 

 ations, and evinced, in short, the possession of all 

 that varied knowledge which we should only look 

 for in an accomplished traveller of this century. 

 Such a man was worthy of so great a patron ; and 

 he must be considered as by far the most emi- 

 nent naturalist of the era in which he lived. On 

 looking back to the history of our science from the 

 revival of letters, it will be observed that nearly all 

 who had contributed to its advancement were little 

 better than voluminous compilers ; who, to a scanty 

 stock of original information, superadded a pon- 

 derous load of ancient lore, gathered from the fables 

 of Pliny, and the credulous writers who followed 

 him : they seemed to think that the value of their 

 works would be estimated by their bulk, or they 

 were probably deterred from prosecuting original 

 research, by their veneration for antiquity. This 

 school, which had been founded by Pliny, seems to 

 have expired with MoufFet ; for in Marcgrave and 

 Bontius we have the first specimens of local faunce, 

 or natural histories of particular regions. Our own 

 country followed this example ; for in 1667 appeared 

 the Pinax of Dr. Merrett*, the first work that was 

 devoted exclusively to the animals and plants of 

 Great Britain. It is written in Latin ; and although 

 very curious in its way, is yet a very imperfect per- 

 formance, for there are no specific names, and the 



* Pinax Rcrum Naturalium Britannicarum, continens Ve- 

 getabilia, Animalia, et Fossilia, in hac Insula reperta inchoatus. 

 Lond. 1667. 



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