BRITISH NATURALIST; OR, SKETCHES OF THE MORE INTERESTING PRODUCTIONS OF BRITAIN AND THE SURROUNDING SEA, IN THE SCENES WHICH THEY INHABIT; AND WITH RELATION TO THE GENERAL ECONOMY OF NATURE, AND THE WISDOM PREFACE. SOME apology may seem to be necessary for the appearance of a new work upon Natural History, more especially of a work that is sanctioned by no name or authority, and pretends to no systematic arrangement. Now these, which not a few may think imperfections, are intended to enable the British Naturalist to stand up for judgment, to be awarded according to its real merits. The dictum of authority, and the divisions of system, are the bane of study to the people at large. The former never fails to repress the spirit of inquiry; and in the latter, the parts are so many, and so scattered, that one cannot understand the whole: it were as easy to tell the hour from the disjointed movements of a number of watches jumbled together in a box, as to find "how nature goes," from the mere dissection of her works. I do not want to hear the harangue of the exhibitor; I want to see the exhibition itself, and b |