NATURAL HISTORY. 15T 



iosophers, and figure away as men of original ge- 

 nius. This preposterous conversion of varieties 

 into species, and of species into genera, has pro- 

 duced infinite injury to the progress of real know- 

 ledge, and has barricaded the approach to the 

 temple of science by a fortification of hard words. 

 Sciolists of this description hold the same rank 

 in natural science, that special pleaders do in law, 

 and scholastics in philosophy. I have discovered 

 a new genus in botany, exclaims one of these pre- 

 tenders. What, a new plant ! no, but that a 

 plant well known and often described as of the 

 some generic character, can be distinguished, in 

 its different appearances, by certain discrepan- 

 ces, which authorise a new discrimination of no- 

 menclature. The truth is, that all these great 

 discoveries are nominal, not real ; and are found- 

 ed on fortuitous, not natural circumstances. I 

 have seen, a white deer — a white moose — and a. 

 white squirrel. Would it not be entirely ridicu- 

 lous to arrange these accidental varieties into 

 new species ^ The natural color of the jackal! 

 is yellow : — Suppose that the prairie wolf resem- 

 bles that animal in all other respects, would we 

 hesitate to pronounce it a jackal! ? Look at the 

 mineralogical synonymes of Allan, and you will 

 see the infinite difficulties which a student of 



mineralogy has to encounter. Let us take a 



H 2 



