4 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF 
pinnacle of Fame — the great^ the learned, the immortal 
Cuvier. 
But notwithstanding all these great efforts, and 
great and highly honourable have they indeed been to 
those who have made them, we are far, very far, from 
having arrived at the consummation so devoutly to 
be wished. Natural History is not generally culti- 
vated in this country with that zeal and ardour which 
its high importance demands. The great body of the 
community have been hitherto very indifferent to 
the subject. Need I adduce any other proof of the 
existence of this apathy in the minds of the people at 
large, than to state the fact, that in this opulent and 
enlightened county there has never been a single 
attempt made to claim any public attention to this 
captivating department of knowledge. The entire 
history of this far-famed city does not record even one 
barren endeavour to rouse the dormant energies of 
its inhabitants in pursuit of the rich harvest which 
would reward the labourers in this vineyard. But we 
will hope better things. If there never before was a 
time in the history of the human race when a thirst 
for useful knowledge had gone abroad, that time is 
now arrived, and posterity will reap the advantage 
of it. 
There is no feature more striking in the republic 
of letters at the present moment than the disposition 
that exists amongst men to co-operate together to 
produce any great beneficial result. The advantages 
of this co-operation in scientific pursuits is easily 
perceived : the scattered knowledge of many, which 
