360 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



from their high cost, can be possessed but by few 

 naturalists, — less indispensable to our researches. If 

 we aim at great proficiency and superior accuracy, 

 these splendid publications must be had, cost what 

 they will ; for few of them, comparatively, can be 

 seen at the public libraries ; and the same unavoid- 

 able objection exists to their partial and hurried 

 use, in such situations, as that already mentioned 

 regarding specimens. For these reasons, the pos- 

 session of a library and museum, available at all 

 hours and at all seasons, is indispensable to the 

 philosophic zoologist, who has thus to expend a 

 fortune to become a master in his science. 



(24-8.) But if, after making such sacrifices, both 

 of time and of money, he becomes qualified to write 

 upon the higher departments of his science, to 

 search after general laws, or to unfold a new leaf of 

 the philosophy of nature, and by giving the result 

 to the world, gain at least the praise (unsubstantial 

 though it be) due to his discoveries, his hopes will 

 be miserably disappointed. If he attempt to ex- 

 hibit his science as a chain of demonstrable truths, 

 and to address his readers as if they already pos- 

 sessed some proficiency in the matter, his work will 

 fall still-born from the press, — no bookseller will 

 incur the risk of publication ; well knowing that the 

 little demand for such publications will subject him 

 to a certain loss, even though the work is brought 

 out at the lowest price.* If, on the other hand, he 



* A striking instance of this has been shown in the Zoolo- 

 gical Researches of Mr. Thompson, a collection of memoirs in 

 8vo. published in 3s. 6d, numbers about every three months. 



