PREFACE, 

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of such catalogues become, therefore, questions not altogether without interest. A 

 descriptive catalogue in Natural History is nothing else than a list of species, accom- 

 panied with such descriptions as may be judged sufficient to make these species 

 known ; and it is evident that a number of various catalogues, having very different 

 objects in view, may be drawn up to correspond with the terms of this definition. A 

 catalogue, for instance, may be formed like that of Buffon, with an express contempt 

 of technical nomenclature and a thorough disregard of system ; the interest of the 

 work depending wholly on that of the history of the individual species described, and 

 the fecundity of imagination, or floridness of style with which their respective 

 manners are developed. Such is, so far as concerns true science, the least profound, 

 and therefore the most ancient sort of descriptive catalogue ; although indubitably it is 

 in certain cases quite sufficient for the purpose of making known the animal intended to 

 be described. Thus, considering the horse merely as a domesticated animal, no scien- 

 tific description can so eloquently, so admirably depict it as that of Buffon, and yet from 

 such a description, we gain no notion whatever of the place which this noble creature 

 holds in the great plan of creation. For all that we learn by it, there need scarcely be 

 more than two insulated beings in the world, man and the horse. The consequence is, 

 that such catalogues only suit for giving popular accounts of a few of such remarkable 

 plants and vertebrated animals, as are directly connected with the habits of man. 

 They seem to proceed, not only on the idea of all design, all order being absent in the 

 creation as a whole, but also as if the infinitely greater part of organized forms need 

 scarcely have been created. It would be absurd, even if it were possible, which it 

 certainly is not, to adopt such a plan of catalogue for the description of insects or 

 shells ; for the interest taken by the public in these " Animated Natures," depends 

 either on the number of anecdotes they contain, or upon our having already, in the usual 

 course of life, acquired directly or indirectly some notion of the animals described, and 

 therefore some curiosity to know more of their manners. Such a catalogue, therefore, 

 is truly unscientific ; but at the same time, and certainly for this reason it is the most 

 popular of any. To understand it requires no previous acquaintance with Natural 

 History ; and to read it, we are told, is all that is necessary for the common purposes 

 of life. True indeed it is, that a horse, a dog, a bee, any animal in fact which is 

 already interesting to us from its immediately affecting the interests of man, may in 

 this way be described, so that every characteristic trait, every particular of their man- 

 ners shall be detailed : and yet it is easy to prove, that both tiie reader and writer of 

 such descriptions may remain utterly unacquainted with Natural History as a science. 

 They know no more ot it, necessarily, than that person knows of astronomy who may 

 have observed the change of seasons, or the difference in the length of days anil 



nights. 



