STRUCTURE DEPENDENT ON HABITS. 41 



overlook. Through these habits of observation, the science 

 of zoology, which comprehends all that relates to the de- 

 scription or classification of animals, has been gradually 

 established. By diligent observations, the peculiar structure 

 of vast numbers of individual animals has been ascertained; 

 their habits have been accm-ately described, and many ancient 

 errors, which arose from hasty examination, have been ex- 

 ploded. Thus, in the more recent scientific works on zoology, 

 the accidental circumstances of size or colour, or locality, or 

 any identity in unimportant habits, have ceased to be guides 

 in the classification of animals, but the essential peculiarities of 

 their format ion, which chiefiy determine their habits, have alone 

 been regarded. We mention this, to point out that the actual 

 observ^ations of successive naturalists, leading to the accumu- 

 lation of a great body of facts, have principally contributed 

 to the advance of zoology as a science in modern times; for 

 the science being wholly founded upon observation, and not 

 upon previous calculations, or any series of experiments, the 

 greater our collection of facts the nearer have we approached 

 to systematic perfection." 



These views so fully coincide ^^ith my own opinions of the 

 necessity for continual observation of facts, that I have not 

 hesitated to introduce them into this place, as they are equally 

 valuable with reference to every department of zoology. The 

 observation of facts has been too much neglected amongst 

 us; there is, however, one passage contained in the above 

 extract, which appears to call for further notice. We are there 

 told that "the essential peculiarities of formation chiefiy de- 

 termine the habits" of animals, and a little further we meet 

 with the remark, that the systems of Cuvier, Blumenbach, 

 and others, are founded upon a consideration both of the 

 teeth and of the organ of touch, and therefore, "being formed 

 with especial reference to the two great distinctions which de- 



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