Writings of the late Professor Blumenbach. 229 



ginals in widely remote parts of the earth, and to those of 

 which no living example occurs in the present creation.* Far- 

 ther, he expressed his opinion on the supposed remains of fossil 

 human bones in Guadaloupe.t His thoughts dwelt upon such 

 subjects as well as upon more general considerations, as, for 

 example, on " gradation in nature,"! and " on final causes," § 

 but he always preferred topics upon which observation could 

 be brought to bear, and which were susceptible of direct proof. 

 He was not addicted to brilliant hypotheses, subtle combina- 

 tions, or fanciful suppositions. 



If it can be said of any scientific work of modern times that 

 its utility has been incalculable, such may well be assert- 

 ed of Blumenbach's " Handbuch der Naturgeschichte" || 

 (Manual of Natural History). There are few civilized coun- 

 tries or districts where it is unknown. This work, which in- 

 dicated, with each new edition,** the progress of its author, 

 contains in small space an astonishing mass of well-arranged 

 materials. But while it was his endeavour to make it as per- 

 fect as possible, we must acknowledge the art displayed in 

 giving only what was^essential, in communicating, in one word 

 or observation, that which was really interesting, agreeable, or 

 useful, and thus exciting to further study. Blumenbach knew 

 how to render this study serviceable, not unly by rendering 

 the whole subject accessible in a simple., tangible, and clear 

 manner, but also by calling in the aid of allied topics, and thus 

 accmiring new points of view and a wider range, 



His " Contributions to Natural History," ft and his ten parts 

 of " Representations of Natural Historical Objects,"^ have 

 rendered profitable service to the establishment and extension 

 of science by their interesting expositions, by then" judicious 



* In Lichtcnberg and Voigt's Mag. fur das Neucste, &c. 1788. Vol. v. 

 p. 13-24. 



t Ine Gott. gel. An;. 1815. No. 177, p. 1753. 



X In the second edition of his Contributions, 1806. Parti, p. 10G-1J2. 



§ Ibid. p. 123. 



|| It first appeared in 1770. 



** The editions which issued from the publisher alone were twelve, the 

 last in the year 1830, without including the reprints and the translations 

 into almost all the languages of civilized nations. 



tt The first part appeared in 1790, the second in 1811. 



;; 1706-1810. 



