4-58 Limura/i Soeieij/ ' 



to, of the o-enuiiie Si/sfema Aiiimalium, with all its aflinities 

 and analogies as concatenated and contrasted by its Great 

 Author. , 



With respect to Great Britain, in our sister science of Bo- 

 tany a vast deal more has been effected than in Zoology. 

 Our indioenous Floras, if we may form a judgement from the 

 very few ""new plants, that after a very general investigation 

 of "the three kingdoms have been discovered, contain nearly 

 a complete list ot'ks j^^tciiogamoiis vegetable productions. In 

 the crijptogamous department more numerous discoveries may 

 h^ expected ; but still even here the Botanist is before the 

 Zoologist, at least with regard to i}ivertebrate animals. The 

 Vertcbratce indeed of our islands, with the exception perhaps of 

 those that inhabit our seas, are already, for the most part, well 

 known and described ; and all that seems to be wanted here is a 

 more perfect acquaintance with their manners and economy, 

 and with the varying appearances put on by some of them,— I 

 speak particularly of the birch, in different periods of their 

 arowth. But undescribed British invertebrate animals daily 

 flow in upon us in shoals; and perhaps it would not be speaking 

 too largely were I to assert, that, excepting the Lepidopera or- 

 der in insects (for a more complete knowledge of which we are 

 indebted to a gentleman near me*) not one in ten, and in some 

 orders not one in twenty, — I speak this with regard to insects, 

 and under the eye of a friend f who can correct me if I have made 

 an overcharged statement, — have been described as British. 

 What is the cause of this difference between the two sister 

 sciences ? It has happened, because perhaps the beauties with 

 which Flora allures us, are more open to general view and re- 

 quire less investigation; that Botany has the advantage of first at- 

 tracting the regards of the admirers of nature; and as she started 

 first, so of course she has made the greatest progress. But Zoo- 

 logy is now marching after her with rapid strides, and I trust 

 wi7l in time overtake her, so that the sisters may run the re- 

 mainder of their race, as they should do, hand in hand together. 

 Another cause is the infinite number, even of indigenous spe- 

 cies, of the invertebrate animals, so that it should seem that a 

 complete Fauna, if undertaken by a single individual, must be 

 left as a legacy to a successor for completion. Vita hrevis, Ars 

 lorcga, is a most discouraging apophthegm to the general zoolo- 

 gist, who without Herculean stamina undertakes the labours 

 of a Hercules: but Vis unitafortior, what one man cannot hope 

 to accomplish in the usual term of human life, may easily and 

 well be done where many unite their forces for that purpose. 

 Did a number of individuals, sufficiently conversant with their 

 * Mr. Ilaworth. f Mr. Stephens. 



science. 



