90 THE GRAND ERROR. 



occupies it with very irksome labour to no useful 

 purpose. The pictures might, in many instances, do 

 just as well without the letter-press, as this only tells 

 in words that which the figure, if an accurate one^ 

 tells at once. If there is any thing more than this, 

 it is chiefly of an anecdotical nature ; and, in the 

 collection of these anecdotes effect is more generally 

 studied than truth, and thus the little knowledge 

 which is acquu-ed is not accurate. 



But even though this were not the case, — though 

 the descriptions were minute and true down to every 

 single feather of a bird,— still they are not of the kind 

 which is wanted. They are all results— the endings 

 of investigations, while we want the beginning, and 

 the mode of j^roceeding. An instance taken from 

 common life will perhaps illustrate this:— A man 

 residing in London, Avishes to go to Bhmingham, but 

 is ignorant of the direction in which it lies, and knows 

 not one step of the way. This is precisely the situ- 

 ation of every person at entering upon the study of 

 natural history, or of any other branch of knowledge. 

 Well, would you present the man with the plan, the his- 

 tory, and the model of Birmingham, as the most likely 

 means of getting him thither ? Assuredly not ; for 

 the plan, the model, and the description, though true 

 and minute to every smoking furnace in that town 

 of fires, would not enable him to know Birmingham 

 when he saw it, half so well as a rough general 

 sketch of its appearance from that part of the London 

 road at which it becomes visible ; and as for finding 

 the way, the most meagre map of the country across 

 which the road lies, that ever was inserted in a road- 

 book, would be far more valuable than all the plans 

 and models of Birmingham, that even its vast con- 

 stellation of artists could produce. 



