VIRGINIAN OPOSSUM. 
more or less under the influence of particular ! 
prejudices ; and that we have, generally, too j 
little charity, for those who are attached to J 
notions, perhaps not more erroneous or ah- i 
surd than those entertained by ourselves, but i 
only of a different nature. Buffon, adverse to 
the dry and unentertalnlng manner of the mere | 
nomenclator, treats with too much disdain the ' 
labours of intelligent and ingenious men, whose 
diligent research, patient investigation, and ; 
well considered arrangement, not only entitle 
them to the approbation, and even the applause, 
of mankind, for smoothing the study of the | 
science of nature; but who, Buffon himself, i 
on innumerable occasions, is compelled abso- i 
tutdy to copy, and without whose assistance ! 
his valuable investigations would probably | 
have proved less attradlive, as well as less en- \ 
titled to universal regard. No slave of sys- 
tem, however, can more rigorously contend 
for his favourite arrangement of any particu- 
lar species ; nor any nomenclator for his ' 
sele6l name of distindiion ; than Buffon con- j 
stantly labours to establish his favourite doc* 
trine, that the animals of the Old World, | 
as Europe, Asia, and Africa, are denominated, : 
wiU ^ 
