History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

XllPREFACE.animals, and many valuable results yet remain in his possession,which it ishoped he will soon communicate to the public.The circumstance, however, which contributed, in the greatestdegree, to restore the science to its former dignity,in thiscountry, arose from the influence of the writingsof the continentalnaturalists. Unrestricted by those trammels which hadparalysed the exertions of British zoologists, they had followedin the track of the Natural Method, under the banners ofReaumur, Degeer, Muller, Daubenton, and Fabricius;and more recently under the guidanceof Blumenbach, Rudolphi,Temminck, Cuvier, Latreille, and Savigny. Acomparison of the productions of these modern observers, withthose of the disciplesof the Linnean school, could not fail toexhibit the former in a favourable light,and gain converts tothe pursuits of physiology. In this new field, Dr Leach hasoccupied a prominent place. His situation as zoologistto theBritish Museum, furnished him with invaluable facilities ;andthere are few unacquainted with the successful results. He beganby publishing several articles on annulose animals,in theEdinburgh Encyclopaedia, and the Supplement to the EncyclopaediaBritannica, which have been republished, under his inspection,by Mr Samouelle, in the Entomologist' '«? UsefulCompendium, London, 1819- The Zoological Miscellany wasbegun by Dr Leach, in 1814; and, in the following year, theMalacostraca Podophthalmata Britannice, imparted a new characterto an obscure branch of British Zoology.He had likewise,in considerable forwardness, a Mollusca Britannica. Itis deeply to be regretted, that indisposition has hitherto preventedits publication, since it is confidentlybelieved that hislabours in this field would have removed much of that uncertaintywhich stillprevailsin the classification of molluscousanimals.The Insects of Britain are at this moment receiving ampleillustration, according to the modern improvements of the science,in two works, in the course of publication. In the British Entomologyof Mr Curtis, there is exhibited a fortunate dexterityin developing structure, accompanied with great accuracyof delineation. The Illustrations of British Entomology, by