VI niEFACE. 



considerably benefitted the science, they have in another 

 proved very detrimental to its general diffusion. No sensible 

 naturalist will risk his fame, by giving his observations to the 

 world, without knowing what has been done by those who 

 have preceded him; — until, in fact, he has proper materials 

 to work upon. He knows that these sumptuous authors 

 should be consulted; he has not the means of so doing; 

 and he relinquishes his purpose in despair. Such has been 

 the result in two or three instances which I could mention : 

 and the power of materially extending the bounds of science 

 is thus confined to those favoured few, who are so fortunate 

 as to possess, or to have the power of consulting, those 

 splendid publications. 



The second objection is well grounded ; but in whatever 

 degree it may apply elsewhere, I trust the following pages 

 will evince my anxiety to render the work replete with 

 subjects hitherto unknown or unrecorded ; and my own 

 collections, in most cases, have given me ample means for 

 examining and comparing both the genera and species of 

 nearly all the subjects I have attempted to illustrate. 



In several instances my opinions will be found to differ 

 from those of many celebrated naturalists of the day ; but 

 I have endeavoured to put the reader in possession of the 

 reasons which have led to the conclusions I have adopted. 

 This is but justice towards those who have preceded me, 

 and to the great body of naturalists, by whom such ques- 

 tions will ultimately be decided. The age is past wherein 

 the ipse dixit of a great name was enough to check all 

 inquiries after truth. Assertions must now be proved 

 before they are admitted : and those writers^vho lay before 

 the public tribunal of science their f^cts, their arguments, 

 and their deductions, can alone hope to have their opinions 

 generally adopted. 



The third and last objection is as new as it is singular ; 

 and has been urged against Miscellanies in "-eneral bv an 



