EDITOKIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
413 
To this succeeds a highly interesting history of the family 
of Saint-IIilairC; in the list of whose writings Mr. Ince 
says— 
One has been intentionally omitted—^ The Domestication 
and Acclimatization of Useful Animals.^ This being the 
grand point towards which all his investigations bore refer¬ 
ence, the book itself brings us directly in contact with the 
subject now in hand. Up to this time zoology had been too 
often considered a mere elegant accomplishment, fit to amuse 
the leisure of a contemplative philosopher and otherwise to 
improve his mind; it was now shown to have great utilita¬ 
rian results, and that it might be presented in the shape of 
tangible advantage. Had Geoffrey laboured under the deep 
misfortune of being what is termed an eminently practical 
man, he might have lived content with the usual occupants 
of a farmyard, and been thrown into ecstasies on the arrival 
of an additional calf. As it was, by taking higher, nay, 
indeed, the highest ground, he made his abstract studies sub¬ 
servient to the daily purposes of life. He did more, for he 
developed the resources, added to the convenience, and con¬ 
tributed to the commercial interests of his country as much 
as the most prosaic member of the community. As yet we 
can notice but the dawning influences of his discoveries; his 
real title to honour will be the future. 
The first positive result of his teaching was that it of ne¬ 
cessity involved this fact, that zoology, as a science, if meant 
to be studied in its widest and broadest meaning, cannot 
stand alone. If by zoology he meant a catalogue of various 
animals, each ticketed with an appropriate label, to which 
catalogue be appended a string of observations more or less 
correct, then of a truth it may be studied, as Goldsmith once 
wrote about it (^Animated Nature^) in the quiet of a parlour 
library; but if zoology be meant to be something more than 
a theoretical routine book-classification, and have to include 
a personal and positive acquaintance with the habits and 
application of animal life, such as BufFon was the first to 
indicate, then we shall wake up to the reality of the pursuit; 
we shall need explorers, active and intelligent travellers, 
trusting to no other page than that of nature, to see where 
these animals are, how they exist, what they do, what they 
produce, and whether it be not possible to utilise the know¬ 
ledge gained by introducing these same animals to do the 
same work at home. The idea was at first deemed romantic, 
but it resulted in the establishment of the Zoological Society 
