CHAP. I.J FALSE HOPES- 229 



and admirable " Birds of Australia," " when a philoso- 

 phic view of the Ornithology of the world (much less of 

 its entire Zoology) can be achieved ; hundreds of species 

 and many forms yet remaining to be discovered, with- 

 out a knowledge of which any general arrangement 

 must necessarily be most imperfect. [If this be true 

 of the mere bodily organs of the creatures that are to 

 be studied, with what increased force is it applicable to 

 their habits, disposition, and capabilities!] I am not 

 speaking in disparagement of the attempts at classi- 

 fication that have hitherto been made, all and each of 

 which has its own individual merits. We are in truth 

 merely the pioneers preceding the great master mind, 

 which will doubtlessly arise at some future period, en- 

 dowed with the capacity requisite for the classification 

 of the immense mass of materials we at present pos- 

 sess, and with which future researches will make us 

 acquainted." * 



A second cause why the practical results of Zoology 

 appear to be so far from commensurate even to the 

 degree of perfection already attained by its system of 

 classification, is, that erroneous principles such at 

 least we humbly believe them to be have often been 

 assumed ; and that it has been taken for granted that 

 the attainment of certain ends are within the scope of 

 human control and direction (such as changing the in- 

 nate disposition and natural constitution of animals), 

 which lie in reality utterly beyond and above our influ- 

 ence. We repeatedly make the attempt to arrive at 

 useful results by following up this deceptive anticipation, 

 and, as a matter of course, we repeatedly fail. What 

 success has attended the establishment of the Camel on 

 * Notice to the Introduction. 



