ITS DEFINITION. 103 



Whatever belongs to the history of an animal or a 

 plant, is comprehended under one or other of these 

 heads of enquiry. The definition, however, is not 

 so applicable to mineralogy, inasmuch as inanimate 

 objects cannot be said to possess either habits or 

 economy. If, however, we substitute for these pro- 

 perties the growth or production of minerals, gene- 

 rally so called, the above exposition will be applicable 

 to all the three kingdoms of nature. 



(53.) Now, in estimating the measure of labour 

 or of talents necessary to the successful prosecution 

 of these several objects, we perceive that they are 

 suited to different degrees of intellect ; and, conse- 

 quently, that there are departments which can be 

 prosecuted, with advantage to the whole, by men of 

 moderate ability and limited information. So wide, 

 indeed, is the scope which this science embraces, so 

 multifarious are the points of information to be 

 elicited, and so easily may many of these points, 

 under peculiar circumstances, be elucidated, that 

 there is room for the beneficial labours of the 

 youngest student, no less than of the most matured 

 and philosophic mind. The successful prosecution 

 of natural history, like that of all other demon- 

 strative sciences, depends upon facts ; and when 

 we consider the number of the data necessary to 

 complete the history of an individual species, and 

 then reflect on the hundreds of thousands of species 

 which exist upon the earth, we shall immediately 

 perceive that every attentive observer has the power 

 of contributing something towards his favourite 

 science ; something which has been yet unob- 

 H 4 



