Punch,  1 (1841), 119.

Punch's Information for the People—No. 4. Natural History  [4/5]

Anon

Genre:

Notes, Drollery, Serial

Subjects:

Natural History, Nomenclature, Plenitude, Animal Behaviour


    Defines 'natural history' as the history of 'naturals' such as human species, and of 'simples' such as herbs. Insists that moving from the pine to the hautboy, the gnat to the elephant, and from Lord John Russell to William Whewell we are reminded of the 'endless variety of all sorts of everything' in nature. Notes that species are given Latin names to make knowledge of natural history 'as difficult of acquirement as possible to everybody'. Dwells on the 'physical structure and peculiarities', 'habits, reproduction, and food', and 'geographical distribution' of one species—the barber of 'homo emollientissimus'.



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