INTRODUCTION. 



OBJECTS AND NATURE OF ZOOLOGICAL SCIENCE; PLEASURE 

 AND ADVANTAGES OP THE STUDY. 



THE objects of Natural History are perhaps in general less 

 clearly understood than those of most other sciences, even 

 among those who pursue it as their professed employment. And 

 it is partly in consequence of this misconception, that its advan- 

 tages as a means of intellectual and moral cultivation, and the 

 pleasures which arise from the pursuit have been, in the opinion 

 of the Author, very commonly underrated. It is usually sup- 

 posed to be a Science of names and of intricate classification; but 

 it will be shown, in the course of this Introduction, that these 

 are not the objects of the Science, but merely furnish the me- 

 chanism (so to speak), by which its true ends are to be attained. 



In Natural History, as in all departments of Philosophy, the 

 first step is made by collecting and registering facts, just as the 

 Astronomer collects his facts, from observation of the movements 

 of the heavenly bodies, or the Chemist, from experiments upon 

 the properties of the different substances found on the earth. 

 In these last sciences, it is as requisite, as in Natural History, to 

 give names to the objects whose movements or properties are 

 being described ; simply in order that various Astronomers or 

 Chemists may be enabled to compare their observations, which 

 they could not readily do, if there were no name or title to 

 designate them. This may be easily understood, from such a 

 case as the following. Let the reader suppose himself to be often 



