14 MODERN HISTORY- 



In t!ic Introductory Lecture* of last year, I attempted to 

 sketcli out to you the history of Comparative Anatomy ; — 

 to select the names of those who had been principally con- 

 cerned in establishing and advancing the science ; — and to 

 assign to each his proper share of praise. At the same time 

 tliat I found it a pleasing task to review the successive steps 

 in the progress of so interesting a science, and to award the 

 just tribute of our gratitude to so many useful labours, I 

 thought it would be interesting and profitable to you to 

 know to whose talents and to whose exertions zoology had 

 been indebted. 



Tiie space allotted to this historical review having been 

 necessarily short, the names of many were omitted ; and 

 others were noticed move briefly than the number, extent, 

 and importance of their contributions to science would have 

 deserved. This was particularly the case with many illus- 

 trious foreigners, towards some of whom I shall now make 

 up for that neglect. 



The temple of Science has not been raised to its present 

 commanding height, or decorated with its beautiful propor- 

 tions and embellishments, by the exertions of any one coun- 

 try. If we obstinately shut our eyes to all that other na- 

 tions have contributed, we shall survey only a few columns 

 of the majestic fabric, and never rise to an adequate concep- 

 tion of the grandeur and beauty of the whole. Our insular 

 situation, by restricting intercourse, has contributed to ge- 

 nerate a contempt of foreigners, and an unreasonable no- 

 tion of our own importance, which is often ludicrous ; al- 

 ways to be regretted ; and in many cases strong enough to 

 resist all tlic weapons of reason and ridicule. We should 

 consider what we think of these national prejudices, when 

 we observe them in others ; when we see the Turks sum- 

 ming up all their contempt for their more polished neigh- 



* Sec Introduction to Comparative Jnalorny and Phy$io}ogy. 



