17 



ment, with one seventh superior to the others, does exist in nature, 

 its first application must necessarily be made to the result of the 

 six days' creation, which I consider as typifying six grand groups 

 of matter, and the seventh — the day of rest, emphatically com- 

 manded to be kept holy — that Omnipotence who created and 

 presides over the stupendous work.* 



To trace nature from the trivial differences which may distin- 

 guish between two kindred mosses — differences scarcely to be 

 detected by the practised eye of the botanist — upwards to the 

 grand grouping of organized matter, into kingdoms containing 

 myriads of such species, — to define accurately major and minor 

 divisions, and assign to each division, and each individual, its 

 appropriate place in an enduring system, is a task, in all proba- 

 bility, far beyond the mental powers of any single individual, 

 especially when we consider the interesting facts and fresh objects 

 which are daily added to our store in such number as must con- 

 vince the student that as yet he scarcely possesses a knowledge 

 of one hundredth part of nature's works ; -f but, to pencil a dim 

 and dubious outline, — to suggest whether nature has not aimed 

 at such and such conclusions, — whether she has not chosen such 



* I am fully aware that this part of the subject is far above the comprehen- 

 sion of man, and feh exceedingly reluctant to carry system farther than the 

 two great groups — animals and vegetables ; but alluding, as I am compelled 

 to do so frequently, to the works of Mr. MacLeay, I was fearful lest my silence 

 on this particular subject should be construed into consent. See Horce 

 Entomologicee, p. 179. 



f In Britain we labour under another difficulty in this respect, a difficulty 

 which has proved beyond measure mortifying during the progress of the 

 present essay, — the want of a national museum. — A private individual cannot 

 be expected to sacrifice all his time and money in procuring, preparing, and 

 arranging, a tolerably perfect collection ; a writer on natural history is, there- 

 fore, compelled to travel round to two or three hundred private collections, 

 and solicit leave to make his memoranda. Few men of taste can regret the 

 purchase of the ancient works of art now open to the public at the British 

 Museum; but the immense sums of public money granted to that institu- 

 tion should insure the naturalist a similar treat with the artist. A collec- 

 tion of vertebrate and annulose animals should be immediately formed, 

 arranged, and named after Cuvier, Latreille, or the most approved authority 

 of the day. Among the insecta, 1* have no doubt a tolerably perfect — cer- 

 tainly, a very useful — collection might with little trouble be made from the 

 specimens already in the Museum. 



