156 NATURAL HISTORY. 



were admirabl}' adapted for this purpose. The 

 two tirst are arbitrary, and the three last founded 

 on nature. This system, when it came out of the 

 hands of its great architect was recommended by 

 its simplicity, and by its tendency to facilitate 

 the acquisition of knowledge. In the progress of 

 lime it has become corrupted by the interpola- 

 tions and sophistications of inferior workmen? 

 who have destroyed its beaut}', deranged its sym- 

 metry, and undermined its strength. The multi- 

 plication of terms, the augmentation of synony- 

 mes, the creation of new genera, and the fabrica- 

 tion of new species, have overloaded the science 

 with an Egyptian burden of terminology. Phi- 

 losophy has been transferred from things to words, 

 and the inventor of a new term, or of a specific 

 or generic difference where none exists, has been 

 absurdly considered as entitled to the honors of 

 an important discovery. A new race of natural- 

 ists have started up, who confine their attention 

 solely to verbal description, and who entirely 

 overlook the habitudes and manners of animals^ 

 and the uses and characters of other organic 

 beings, and of inorganic matter. The splitting 

 jip of genera, and the subdivision of species occu- 

 py their exclusive attention; and if they can find 

 a new name for an old thing, or feign imaginar}^ 

 difTerenceSj then they fancy themselves great phi- 



