28 MEMOIR OF 



was by importations from India,* and possessed 

 of the greatest pecuniary resources, may be a 

 matter of supposition, but cannot now be ascer- 

 tained ; as also the influence of his example, in 

 regard to such pursuits, upon his many learned 

 and pious cotemporaries and successors. 



The first individual who can positively be 

 proved to have pursued the study of Natural 

 History as a science, is the immortal Aristotle. 

 Previously, however, to taking that degree of 

 notice of his researches which is required by 

 the object of the ensuing sketch, it may not be 

 unacceptable to some readers if it be attempted 

 briefly to state what is to be understood by the 

 scientific pursuit of any department of Natural 

 History. 



Mankind universally have, no doubt, ever been 

 able to distinguish and to, describe with more or 

 less accuracy some or other of the individuals of 

 the animal kingdom ; every one who has fre- 

 quently seen such creatures, knowing the diffe- 

 rence between a quadruped and a bird, between 

 a bird and a fish, and between individuals of the 

 same order, as between a dog and a cat, a pigeon 

 and a hawk ; and it is probable that even written 

 descriptions and drawings of some animals, having 

 various degrees of truth and similarity, have ex- 



* 1 Kings, x. 22. For the king had at sea a navy 

 of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram ; once in three 

 years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and 

 silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks, or parrots, as some 

 understand by the word in Hebrew. 



