FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 31 



fusion of blossoms around him, in the greater 

 number of which he is able to discover many 

 striking resemblances, may be reduced into some 

 order of arrangement. But he would be little 

 aware that the principle, according to which they 

 are best classed, has relation not to the parts 

 which appear to him to constitute the whole 

 flower, but to some small part of the blossom, 

 which he does not perceive at the distance at 

 which he passes it, and which scarcely attracts 

 his eye when he plucks it from the stem." This 

 distinction respecting the resemblances, which, 

 though obvious, are not always best adapted for 

 classification, may be thus illustrated : " There 

 is a species of monkey so like a lion, that it may 

 be compared to a monkey in a lion's skin ; it has 

 the lion's long mane, slender tufted tail, and the 

 fur in all other parts short and compact. But 

 the resemblance not only extends no farther, but 

 so total a dissimilarity exists in all other respects 

 between these two creatures, that it would be 

 absurd to class them together." 



It is the preponderance of similar characteristics 

 which indicates to the naturalist the affinities of 

 animals. From the classifications founded on 

 these, which can only be derived from the most 

 accurate and extensive examination of facts, he 

 proceeds to u detail whatever can make us 

 acquainted with the history of animals, compre- 

 hending a knowledge of their varieties, external 

 forms, organs, habits, and to expound the laws by 



