INTRODUCTION. 29 



HISTORY OF ZOOPHYTOLOGY. 



" Mankind must necessarily be diversified by various tastes, since life affords 

 and requires such multiplicity of employments, and a nation of naturalists is 

 neither to be hoped or desired ; but it is surely not improper to point out a 

 fresh amusement to those who languish in health, and repine in plenty for 

 want of some source of diversion that may be less easily exhausted ; and to in- 

 form the multitudes of both sexes who are burdened with every new day, that 

 there are many shows which they have not seen." Dr. Samuel Johnson. 



DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON, from whom the above is taken, with 

 all his talent and with all his rich stores of knowledge, 

 was not a naturalist, and few comparatively in his day 

 had paid any attention to natural science. Very few in 

 Great Britain had at that time any acquaintance with Zoo- 

 phytology. It is little more than a century since it began 

 to be regarded as a distinct department of natural science. 

 Before entering on the History of British Zoophytes, it 

 may be interesting and useful to give some general his- 

 tory of the science, and a brief account of some of the 

 naturalists to whom the science has chiefly been indebted. 

 It was customary of old in Scotland to raise cairns as 

 monumental remembrances of departed chieftains who had 

 distinguished themselves in their day and generation, and 



