384 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



whether any respectable bookseller will undertake 

 the risk of publishing them. The French are well 

 aware of the necessity of national patronage to such 

 works ; and with that munificent liberality which 

 characterises all their proceedings regarding science, 

 they annually set aside a considerable sum for this 

 exclusive purpose. It has been solely owing to 

 this liberal spirit, worthy of a great nation, that the 

 splendid zoological discoveries made in the voyages 

 of Dupery and other navigators have been published 

 in a style of beauty and completeness, which is no 

 less valuable to science than honourable to the 

 nation. 



(264-.) But let us proceed regularly ; and give to 

 each of those means by which an enlightened ad- 

 ministration can encourage science, a separate con- 

 sideration. These appear to be as follows : — 1. 

 The appointment of scientific men to those offices 

 wherein their acquirements can be made subservi- 

 ent to the public good. 2. By aiding and assisting 

 our universities in the establishment of professor- 

 ships. 3. By condescending to consult, on all 

 such questions as relate to science, those scientific 

 institutions of the country which are the proper tri- 

 bunals for deciding such questions. 4. By removing 

 all those impediments and regulations which press 

 upon the authors of illustrative works on natural 

 history, and for the general encouragement of such 

 works. 5. By bestowing honorary or pecuniary re- 

 wards upon those whose discoveries or researches 

 reflect honour upon the nation. 



(265.) I. The first subject which demands the at- 

 tention of any administration desirous of placing the 



