NATURAL HISTORF. 



157 



losophers, and figure away as men of original ge- 

 nius. This preposterous conversion of varieties 

 into species, and of species into genera, has pro- 

 duced infinite injury to the progress of real know- 

 ledge, and has barricaded the approach to the 

 temple of science by a fortification of hard words. 

 Sciolists of this description hold the same rank 

 in natural science, that special pleaders do in law, 

 and scholastics in philosophy. I have discovered 

 a new genus in botany, exclaims one of these pre- 

 tenders. What, a new plant ! no, but that a 

 plant well known and often described as of the 

 some generic character, can be distinguished, in 

 its different appearances, by certain discrepan- 

 ces, which authorise a new discrimination of no- 

 menclature. The truth is, that all these great 

 discoveries are nominal, not real ; and are found- 

 ed on fortuitous, not natural circumstances. I 

 have seen a white deer — a white moose — and a 

 white squirrel. Would it not be entirely ridicu- 

 lous to arrange these accidental varieties into 

 new species ? The natural color of the jackall 

 is yellow : — Suppose that the prairie wolf resem- 

 bles that animal in ;i!l other respects, would we 

 hesitate to pronounce it a jackall ? Look at the 



mineralogicat synonymes of Allan, and you will 



sec the infinite difficulties which a stti lent of 



mineralogy has to encounter. Let us .take A 



11 2 



