NATURAL history. Natural history, taken in its most extensive sense, signi fies a knowledge and description of the whole universe. Facts respecting the heavenly bodies, the atmosphere, the earth,and indeed all the phenomena which occur in the world, and even those which relate to the external parts, as well as the actions of man himself, so far as reason can discover them, belong to the pro. vince of natural history. But when we leave the simple recital of effects, and endeavour to investigate the causes of such phenomena, we over-step the boun daries of natural history, and enter on the confines of philosophy. This science, it must be evident, according to the above definition, is as extensive as nature itself: but in a more appropriate and limited sense, it treats of those substances of which the earth is composed, and of those organized bodies, whether vegetable or animal, which adorn its surface, soar into the air, or dwell in the bosom of the waters.
In this restricted sense natural history may be divided into two heads; the first teaches us the characteristics or distinc tive marks of each individual object, whe ther animal, vegetable, or mineral ; the second renders us acquainted with all its peculiarities, in respect to its habits, its qualities, and its uses. To facilitate the attainment of the first, it is necessary to adopt some system of classification, in which the individuals that correspond in particular points may be* arranged toge ther, and with this view we have pre ferred that of Linnxus, as being the most simple of any that has yet been presented to the public.
A knowledge of the second head can only be acquired by a diligent and accu rate investigation of each particular ob ject ; for this we must refer the reader to the several genera described in the course of the work, under which we have endeavoured to give a brief account of M m the interesting and more material facts connected with each genus.
The study of natural history consists in the collection, arrangement, and exhibi tion of the various productions of the earth. These are divided into three great kingdoms of nature, the boundaries of which meet in the Zoorar-ras, which see.
Minerals occupy the interior parts of the earth, in rude and shapeless but moat of them may be sometimes found crystallized so regularly, that they may be determined by the measurement of their angles with mathematical preci sion. TheyJ are concrete bodies, des titute of life and sensation. See MI zrza..zoar, and the several genera of mi nerals.
Vegetables clothe its surface with ver dure, imbibe nourishment through their bibulous roots, respire by means of leaves, and continue their kind by the dispersion of seeds within prescrib ed limits. They are organized bodies,
possessing life, but not sensation. See SOTAN Y.
Animals inhabit the exterior parts of the earth, respire and generate eggs are impelled to action by hunger, affec. lions and pain, and, by preying on other animals and vegetables, restrain within proper limits and proportions the num bers of both. They possess organized bo dies, enjoy life and sensation, and have the power of loco-motion.
Man, who rules and subjugates all other beings, is, by his wisdom alone, ca pable of forming just conclusions from such natural bodies as present them selves to his senses. Hence an acquaint ance with these bodies, and the capa bility, from certain marks imprinted on them by the hand of nature, to distin guish them from each other, and to affix to each its proper name, constitute the first step of knowledge. These are the elements of this science; this is the great alphabet of nature, for if the name be lost, the knowledge of the object must be lost also.
The method pursued in natural history indicates that every body may, on inspee. *Ion, be known by its peculiar name, and this points out whatever the industry of man has been able to discover respecting it, so that, amid apparent confusion, the greatest order and regularity are dis cernible.
The Linnzan system is divided into climes, orders, genera, species, and va rieties, to each of which their names and characters are affixed. In this arrange ment, the classes, order, and genera, are arbitrary, but the species are na tural.
Of the three grand divisions of the imperium nature, above referred to, the animal kingdom stands highest in the scale, next to it the vegetable, and lastly the mineral kingdom.
To the vegetable and mineral king doms we have already referred, under the distinct articles BOTANY and MIN AH•LO : with regard to the animal kingdom, we may observe, that animals enjoy sen sation by means of a living organization, animated by a medullary substance, per ception by nerves, and motion by the exertion of the will. They are furnished with members for the different purposes of life, organs for their different senses, and faculties or powers for the applica tion of their different perceptions. They all originate ab boo. Their external and internal structure, habits, instincts, and various relations to each other, will be found under the different genera. See also ANATOMY, COMPLEATIVE ANATOXY, Piirsiozoor, &C.
The following is a brief abstract of the arrangement pursued by Linnzus in his division of the animal kingdom.