[ J 9 ] 
great number of Englifli as well as foreign birds 
and other animals hitherto not accurately delineated" 
or defcribed. 
After 
i( worth notice : and, indeed, he feerned to have attained to univerfal 
t( knowledge; for, in the many opportunities I have had of being in his 
“ company, almoft every part of fcience has happened to be the fubjedt 
“ of difcourfe, all of which he handled as an adept in each. He was a 
man of great politenefs in his manners, free from all pedantry and pride, 
** and, in every refpedi, the real unaffedted fine gentleman. 
“ The lofs of four perfonages, fo truly noble, fo good, fo great, and every 
ff< way fo highly accomplished, in the fmall fpaee of three or four years, 
“ was an event that greatly humbled me. I imagined, that, after fuch 
i( a lofs to arts and fciences in general, and to myfelf in particular, all 
44 endeavours to excel in any branch of knowledge would be fruitlefs, and 
44 of little avail to its author, for want of eminent men to infpire the 
44 riling generation; and I thought of difcontinuing any farther progrefs 
44 in natural hiftory : but the national fpirit for the promotion of learning 
44 and arts, in the eftablifhment of that grand repofitory and immenfe fund 
44 of fcience, the Britifh Mufeum, has, in fome meafure, revived the pafiion 
44 for learning and ufeful knowledge and 1 hope thele feeds, fown by 
“ public authority, cherilhed and protedfed by a Prince difiinguilhed for 
“ virtue and learning, will take root, fpring up, and yield a plentiful har- 
C( veil. 
cs The Britifh Mufeum reminds me of a brief catalogue of the natural 
44 and artificial fubjeds contained in it, which Sir Hans Sloane fhewed 
“ me about a year before he died, and permitted me to take a copy of * 
“ and, as I believe, though it is fo very general, it may, for want of x 
44 more perfedt one, be acceptable to the reader, and is as follows; 
Am 
