, PREFACE. Vil 



anonymous French writer* However an author may feel 

 annoyance or disappointment, that another should be the first 

 to publish discoveries, which he fancies belong exclusively 

 to himself, he surely has no title to complain. The field of 

 Nature is open to the inquiries of all. In her domain there 

 are not yet established any scientific preserves. •\ If occupation 

 or indolence does not permit one labourer to make known his 

 discoveries, is another (who perhaps unconsciously has been 

 working on the same ground) to hide the knowledge lie has 

 gained ? This is surely a principle at once illiberal and 

 unjust. At this time, there is not perhaps a single depart- 

 ment of Zoology which is not employing the attention of 

 more than one writer. It is to the honour, and to the lasting 

 benefit of science, that it should be so : and although a 

 great part of the new objects collected during my travels in 

 Europe and Brazil have recently been made public by MM. 

 Temminck and Godart, I feel rejoiced that this has been 

 done by such distinguished men. 



1 have been induced to enter (perhaps too fully) into a 

 general defence of Zoological miscellanies, from the opinion 

 I entertain of their great utility. First, in diffusing a general 

 knowledge, and exciting a taste for such pursuits among the 

 great mass of readers ; and secondly, as being a prompt and 

 interestino- channel of communicating new discoveries to the 

 scientific world. Their periodical appearances and compara- 

 tive cheapness renders them of easy access to the student; 



* " Pendant que les naturalistes font des monographies, des ouvrages 

 generaux ou la synonyiiiie, les coupes systematiques sont, u force de temps 

 et de soins, etablies avec rigueur, les auteuis des iniscellanees, avec quelques 

 phrases et des noms nouveaux, font des genres ou des especes, et publient 

 50 cahiers dans lesquels les fruits de dix ans de recherches ou de voyages 

 sont enleves ^ leurs auteurs. (F.)" — Bulletin des Annoiices et des Nouvelles 

 IScientiJlques; public sous la direction de ill. le B. de Ferussac. IV. 4. p. 53. 



t See the Sketch Book of G. Crayon, vol. i. p. 130. 



