History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

XPREFACE.In the translation of Gmelin's edition of Linn^eus's Systemof Nature, London 1802, Dr Turton has marked with an asteriskall the species which he considered as indigenous to Britain.This list isby far the most extensive of any which hasyet appeared.The same industrious naturalist commenced in1807 a British Fauna, includingthe classes Mammalia, Birds,Amphibia, Fishes, and Worms. He has since still further illustratedthe Shells of this country in his Conchological Dictionary,and his still more valuable Bivalvia Britannica.Besides the authors now referred to, who aimed at the completionof systems of British Zoology, other naturalists, equallythe followers of the Artificial Method, directed their attentionto the elucidation of particulartribes of indigenous animals.As works of luxury in this department, may be noticedthe figures published by Albin, Edwards, Lewim, and last ofall those of Donovan, whose vai'ious publications have greatlycontributed to advance the interestsof the science, by facilitatingthe naming- of species.But there were other labourers during this era, whose effortsassumed a more scientific aspect.The late George Montagu,Esq. of Knowle House, Devonshire,cultivated withzealmany departments of British Zoology. In 1 802 he publishedhis Ornithological Dictionary, which contained a fewamended characters of species,and some new observations ontheir economy. In 1813 a Supplementto this Dictionaryappeared,in which the author exhibited a more intimate acquaintancewith his subject, traced the effects of age, sex,and season on the plumage of birds, and exposed many mistakesin the establishment of species, which had been committedfrom a want of attention to these circumstances. ButMr Montagu's labours were not confined to Ornithology. In1803 the of his Testacea Britannica contributedpublicationgreatly to extend a knowledge of the number and characters ofthe native Molluscous animals, and which was still further augmentedby the Supplement to the same work, which appearedin 1808. It is but a justtribute to the candour of this naturalistto state, that in his writings he toappears, progressively,have been forsakingthe Artificial Method, and acquiringa