Methods of Study in Natural History

Methods of Study in Natural History is a comprehensive guide to the study of natural history written by Louis Agassiz, a renowned Swiss-American biologist and geologist. The book is divided into three parts, each focusing on a different aspect of natural history. The first part discusses the importance of observation, classification, and comparison in the study of natural history. The second part explores the use of dissection and microscopy in the study of animals and plants. The third part covers the study of fossils and geological formations.Throughout the book, Agassiz emphasizes the importance of hands-on observation and experimentation in the study of natural history. He provides detailed instructions for conducting various experiments and observations, and includes numerous illustrations and diagrams to aid in understanding.Methods of Study in Natural History is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the study of natural history, including students, scientists, and amateur naturalists. It provides a comprehensive overview of the methods and techniques used in the field, and emphasizes the importance of careful observation and experimentation in understanding the natural world.1896. The series of papers collected in this volume may be considered as a compliment or commentary to my Essay on Classification, since I have endeavored to present here in a more popular form the views first expressed in that work. And although the direct intention of these pages has been, as their title indicates, to give some general hints to young students as to the methods by which scientific truth has been reached, including a general sketch of the history of science in past times, yet I have also wished to avail myself of this opportunity to enter my earnest protest against the transmutation theory, revived of late with so much ability, and so generally received. It is my belief that naturalists are chasing a phantom, in their search after some material gradation among created beings, by which the whole animal Kingdom may have been derived by successive development from a single germ, or from a few germs...the resources of the Deity cannot be so meager, that, in order to create a human being endowed with reason, he must change a monkey into a man.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.