. 13. INTRODUCTION. 9 



If this be effected in a general way for all the three king- 

 doms, it produces the method of Natural History in gene- 

 ral ; if applied to each of them, it gives the method of the 

 Natural History of the kingdom concerned. 



As yet, the method of Natural History in general, has 

 not been treated of separately, nor is it an object which 

 requires to be more circumstantially developed in the pre- 

 sent place. This method would be for the whole compass 

 of the productions of Nature, what the Philosophia Botanica 

 of Linnaeus is for the vegetable kingdom. 



The method of the Natural History of any particular 

 kingdom, is contained in that of Natural History in gene- 

 ral, and differs from the method of the other kingdom, 

 only by its being applied to different bodies. This will be 

 perfectly evident, if we reflect that the different parts of 

 Natural History could not be parts of one and the same 

 science, should their methods be different. Indeed, the 

 method according to which the aggregate of various infor- 

 mation, commonly called Mineralogy, has hitherto been 

 treated, is different from the method of Natural History 

 in general. Mineralogy, however, treated in this manner, 

 is not the Natural History of the Mineral Kingdom, but 

 is a compound not contained within a single science, and 

 which altogether cannot be traced to constant principles, 

 by any regular process of reasoning. 



. 13. TERMINOLOGY. 



Terminology is the explanation of the natural- 

 historical properties, in as far as they are employed 

 in recognising, distinguishing, and describing the 

 productions of Nature, and in developing those 

 general ideas, which the method requires. 



Terminology teaches the language adapted to the pecu- 

 liar use of the science, and explains the meaning of what 

 has been called the Technical Terms. 



In this scientific language, fixed expressions are connect- 

 ed with accurately determined ideas, and, vke versa, accu- 



