. 4. 5. INTRODUCTION. 3 



the same choice. Properties thus selected are the natural- 

 historical properties of a body. Hence every natural-his- 

 torical property is one of those appertaining to a body in 

 its natural state ; but every one of the properties to be 

 met with in a body is not on that sole account also a natu- 

 ral-historical property. The assemblage of all the natural- 

 historical properties of a natural production, is its Natural, 

 or Natural-Historical quality. 



Properties not subservient to the use of Natural His- 

 tory, are considered in other sciences, which, in respect to 

 their fundamental principles, entirely differ from that of 

 Natural History. 



. 4. NATURAL PRODUCTIONS. 



Material Bodies, in consequence of their being 

 produced by Nature, are called Natural Produc- 

 tions. 



It is Nature alone which produces bodies. Art only 

 modifies certain properties of the bodies produced by Na- 

 ture. Natural productions, modified or altered by the as- 

 sistance of art, are called artificial productions. A tree is a 

 natural production ; a table, into the form of which the 

 wood of the tree has been fashioned, is an artificial pro- 

 duction. If a gem undergoes a chemical analysis, it ceases 

 by that process to be a natural production. If it is cut 

 and polished, abstraction being made of its artificial form, 

 it still must be considered as a natural production ; whilst, 

 in respect to the form itself, it becomes an artificial one. 



. 5. DESIGN OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



Natural History considers the natural produc- 

 tions as they are, and not how they have been 

 formed. 



Natural History does not inquire into the mode of for- 

 mation of natural productions, but only into their natu- 



