PREFACE. ix 



And there is a harmony as truly existing in a 

 properly educated mind, as in a well- formed 

 and well-exercised body, though the harmony 

 of the former may not be so easily discerned as 

 that of the latter. ;' 



As years advance, the study of Natural His- 

 tory may be confined to those who manifest a 

 peculiar taste for it, or who exhibit little dispo- 

 sition for classical pursuits. For, as every age 

 has its intellectual claims, so also has every 

 grade of talent. The schools of the highest 

 reputation have generally been conducted too 

 exclusively to the advantage of the superior 

 class of minds. The fine porcelain has been 

 beautifully moulded and delicately pencilled, 

 but the coarser clay has been almost entirely 

 neglected. Yet many a young man who will 

 never shine in the Senate House or the Schools, 

 may yet pursue Natural History with success, 

 and find in such pursuits improvement for his 

 mind, a refuge from ennui, and a substitute for 

 sensual pleasures. There is much truth as well 

 as benevolence in a remark, I once heard from 

 an amiable coadjutor of Pestalozzi ; " Tout 

 terrain est bon si Ton sait le cultiver." 



Much of the instruction thus communicated, 

 will doubtless fade from the mind ; but not with 

 it will pass away all the benefits arising from 

 these studies. In after years they may be recom- 



