[ 42 ] 



virtues, and other ufes, are attributed to fome of 

 thefe things , but there being no certain marks 

 to fhew what things in nature were called by 

 thofe names, we have now wholly loft them, or 

 take different things for them, or are in difpute 

 about them \ therefore authors, naturalifts efpe- 

 cialiy, fliould confult, firft of all, the outward 

 forms of things, in order farther to explain them 

 by defcriptions and other marks j and deliver 

 them down to pofterity, fo as to free them, as 

 far as human reafon is capable of, from the loffes 

 and injuries they may fuftain from time. In de- 

 fcribing natural things nothing ought to be 

 omitted that is any way remarkable ; and may 

 fix and eftablilh the charadter of the thing de- 

 fcribed, fo as plainly to diftinguifh it from all 

 other things: this may be done without fol- 

 lowing the minute (leps of fome authors, who 

 have wrote large books on fmgle birds or plants -, 

 for long defcriptions lead the mind into mazes 

 and confufion, and tire rather than inftrud:. On 

 the other hand, too brief defcriptions fliould be 

 avoided ; for very often thefe are found to con- 

 flft only of fuch general forms and colourings 

 ^hat are common to many things of the fame 



genus 



