16 ZOOLOGY : ITS SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS. 



creatures so humble in the scale of creation are cared 

 for, and their wants supplied, the human soul, though 

 linked to a frail body, and placed in a world that 

 seems as nothing in the universe, must, in the sight of 

 its Author, be of that inestimable worth attributed to 

 it by Revelation. If the truths of Astronomy witness 

 to the majesty of God, those of Natural History witness 

 no less to the proper dignity of man ; and while the 

 first teach us to humble ourselves before Him "who 

 inhabiteth eternity," the second show us that true hu- 

 mility consists, not in supposing ourselves to be beneath 

 the care, or unworthy the notice, of the " High and 

 Lofty One," but in claiming the privileges of that posi- 

 tion in His creation which He has assigned to us, and 

 fulfilling its duties because they are of His requiring. 



Such, then, are some of the pleasures of Natural 

 History, whatever branch of the subject we select for 

 our researches. I have glanced at those pleasures under 

 the heads Geology, Botany, and Zoology. Each of 

 these might be again divided ; and the last, especially, 

 is so extensive that its several branches are spoken of 

 as distinct sciences. Thus we have Ornithology, Ich- 

 thyology, Entomology, Conchology, &c., all branches 

 of the great science of Zoology. The British amateur- 

 naturalist is particularly fortunate in possessing a series 

 of admirable monographs, copiously illustrated by 

 figures, on each of the several zoological sciences ; so 

 that, whatever tribe he wishes to study, he can have 

 the advantage of consulting a carefully-written sys- 

 tematic work, which places that particular tribe dis- 

 tinctly before him, and gives him all the striking points 



