48 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



his orders, and he proposes several new genera : but 

 he writes in the spirit of the Sy sterna Natures, and 

 the excellence of his descriptions shows he was an 

 accurate observer and a really good naturalist. 

 Scopoli was Botanical Professor at Pavia. With 

 that moral courage which bespeaks an honest and a 

 good heart, he had the " temerity" to expose the 

 disgraceful thefts made by Spalenzani of objects 

 from the public museum. The interest of the 

 accused, however, supported him ; and although the 

 proofs adduced were unanswerable, the remainder 

 of Scopoli's life was rendered miserable by the per- 

 secution of Spalenzani's friends. He was subsequently 

 the author of three other works *, and he is stated 

 to have published some plates, illustrating his Ento. 

 mologia Carniolica, but which we have never met 

 with in any library. Three years afterwards, the 

 industrious Schceffer, of Ratisbon, began to publish 

 his voluminous and expensive works, chiefly upon 

 the insects of his native province : they are now 

 valuable only for the numerous coloured figures, of 

 poor execution as works of art, yet very useful for 

 reference. He was not altogether a disciple of 

 Linnaeus, for he endeavoured to set up a system of 

 his own, of which he published the Elements f, 



* Scopoli. (l.) Introductio ad Historian! Naturalem. 

 Praga*, 1777. 1 vol. 8vo. (2.) Anni Historico Naturales. 

 Lipsiae, 1768—1772. 1 vol. 8vo. (3.) Deliciee Flora et 

 Faunae insubricae. Ticini, 1786—1788. 1 vol. folio. 



f J. C. Schoeflfer. (1.) ElementaEntomologica. Regensburg, 

 1766. 1 vol. 4to. In Latin and German. (2.) Icones Insecto- 

 rum circa Ratisbonam indigenorum. Regens^ 1769. 3 vols. 

 4to. 



