MEMOn; OF CAJU’EH. 
4‘d 
researches, was led to suspect that tliere was in 
birds an extraordinary and peculiar connexion be- 
tween the two systems ; that the air-passages com- 
mon to all breathing animals, communicated in birds, 
by free conduits, with nearly the whole osseous 
structure, filling the interior of all the principal bones 
" itli air, thus greatly lessening the specific gravity 
of the animals, and facilitating their elevation into a 
rarer medium. Camper not only discovered such 
^o be the fact, but he found that this valuable and im- 
portant end was attained Ity variations in the anato- 
mical structure of birds, so slight that it was not 
surprising they should have previously eluded ana- 
toinical observation ; and in this very circumstance 
be brought to light a remarkable manifestation of the 
endless resources, the surpassing wisdom, and the 
infinite power of the Almighty Architect. 
It appears evident that the Professor assumes to 
biinself the whole merit of this great discovery in 
natural history; and yet his claim has been disputed, 
nnd John Hunter again appears as his competitor. 
In this instance, however, it is evident that our au- 
thor had considerable priority, and superior and un- 
•luestionable right to all the honour, though Mr 
Hunter, by subsequently going over the same ground, 
may have somewhat extended the discovery. There 
la so much naivete and natural feeling in the words 
m which Camper speaks of his discovery, as well as 
So much intrinsic interest in the subject itself, that 
"'e shall quote ids words somewhat freely. 
