[ 27° 3 



is picked, up- from a common dictionary, with regard to the im- 

 port of a word, when I want to find whether it hath not been 

 ufed in a different fignification. 



I admit, indeed, that the name alone, together with its claffi- 

 factioru nearly compleats the natural hiftory of a foffil, but furely 

 the circumftances omitted by Linnaeus are the moft interefting 

 parts of zoology. 



If I was to refer again to Linnaeus's defcription and account of 

 another well-known bird (the goldfinch) I mould not find any 

 more material circumftances, whilft, as I conceive, he would 

 miflead me by faying, that the tips of the wings and tail-feathers 

 are white in the autumn, and black in the fpring, which with us 

 continue of the fame colour throughout the year. To this I muft 

 add, that the goldfinch in England does not particularly frequent 

 junipers, nor do I underftand what part of this fhrub this bird is 

 to feed upon during the fummer ; the facl: being, that all the finch 

 tribe live during that feafou upon groundfel, chickweed, and other 

 plants, both the {talks, flowers, and leaves of which afford them 

 plentiful nourifhment. 



It may be however ai'ked, if Linnaeus is not to be confulted, to 

 whom I would refer the naturalift for information ? to which my 

 anfwer is, that he mould have recourfe to the ornithologift who 

 hath lived in, and obferved the animals of, the country where the 

 bird may be found in its wild ft ate, and if that country be Eng- 

 land, he will find fatisfaction as to many of thefe particulars 

 from Willoughby and Pennant. Doing otherwife may be com- 

 pared to the looking into a Polyglot dictionary for the fignificaiion 

 of a word in a particular language, inftead of a capital compilation 

 confined to the terms of that fingle country. 



I have hitherto confined myfelf to Linnaeus' s zoology, but have 

 alfo my appreheniions with regard to the uie of the botanical part 



of 



