104 MEMOIR OF 



by reason of their generality and obscurity, for so 

 nany descriptions of different animals. 



" Now, that he might clear up all these obscu- 

 rities, and render the knowledge and distinction 

 of species facile to all that should come after, he 

 bent his endeavours to find out (as I before inti- 

 mated) certain characteristic notes of each kind ; 

 but if, in any, no singular mark occurred, whereby 

 it might certainly be distinguished from all 

 others, he did minutely and exactly describe all 

 its parts, that, at least, a collection of many 

 accidents, which altogether could not be found in 

 any species else of the same kind, might serve 

 for a characteristic, that the reader should not, by 

 a general and ambiguous description, be left in 

 suspense, or incur the danger of error. 



" But because prolix and operose description 

 is tedious to most readers, and to the inattentive 

 seems rather to obscure than illustrate the thing 

 described, to relieve and gratify such, besides the 

 description, he often adds some short notes, by 

 which the animal described may be distinguished 

 from others of the same kind like to it, and 

 wherewith it is in danger to be confounded. 

 Now, though I cannot but commend his diligence, 

 yet I must confess that in describing the colours 

 of each single feather, he seems to me to be too 

 scrupulous and particular ; partly, because nature 

 doth not in all individuals (perhaps not in any 

 two) observe exactly the same spots or strokes ; 

 partly, because it is very difficult so to word 

 descriptions of this sort as to render them intel- 



