Animal and Vegetable Life. 4545 



ranks of science, and rejoice as we may over each recruit that is added 

 to our staff of working naturalists, whether in field or barracks, we 

 must nevertheless all look most carefully and cautiously, lest, instead 

 of forming our troops into a firm phalanx, we fall foul of each other, 

 and thus endanger the safety of our " Natural Defences." 



The dangers referred to are many in number ; but there is one to 

 which I would wish in particular to call attention, as being of rapid 

 growth in the present day, and to which the more scientific mode of 

 studying Natural History now adopted has in a great measure con- 

 tributed. 



An acquaintance with the mere form of any natural object was 

 formerly deemed sufficient, and Natural History was pursued for the 

 sake of simply naming a collection of objects which would look 

 pretty in a cabinet. Under these circumstances the mere descrip- 

 tions of outward forms were all that were required; and but few en- 

 tered upon scientific investigations of those classes of animals which 

 they studied. Natural History has now soared above this degrading 

 state of things, and every fact is esteemed as important which will in 

 any way tend to elucidate any portion of the history of particular spe- 

 cies; the minutest details of habit and food, growth and develop- 

 ment, habits and economy, as well as of anatomy, external and inter- 

 nal, are considered of value, and to be worthy objects of the most 

 searching investigations. 



In order that they may forward these views, many lovers of Nature, 

 when they have met with some rarity in another district, are not con- 

 tent with procuring specimens at the time, from a wish to possess so 

 great a prize in their immediate neighbourhood, or for the still more 

 natural and justifiable cause, that they may examine and watch the 

 development of their proteges, but are in the habit of transporting ani- 

 mals and plants from one district to another. But although the 

 watching of the success that attends such trials may be highly inte- 

 resting to the individual making the experiments, and the changes 

 which result from difference of climate, soil, or food, in specimens of 

 the animal or vegetable kingdoms, may be highly instructive to all, 

 still such experiments as are now referred to should not be made 

 without certain precautions having been adopted, lest, while in minor 

 points the experiment be instructive and of value, in major ones it 

 prove detrimental to the last degree. If every naturalist were to in- 

 troduce exotic forms of life into this country, or carry animals and 

 plants from one part of Great Britain to another, science would suffer 

 one of the severest blows that could be dealt at it. Our previously 



