'While botanising to-day I had the good fortune to take an animal of the opossum ("Didelphis") tribe; it was a female, and with it I took two young ones. It was not unlike that remarkable one which De Buffon has described by the name of "Phalanger" as an American animal. It was, however, not the same. M. de Buffon is certainly wrong in asserting that this tribe is peculiar to America, and in all probability, as Pallas has said in his "Zoologia" the "Phalanger" itself is a native of the East Indies, as my animals and that agree in the extraordinary conformation of their feet, in which particular they differ from all the others.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Joseph Banks Print: Book
'The third was of the opossum kind, and much resembled that called by De Buffon "Phalanger". Of these two last I took only one individual of each. Bats here were many: one small one was much if not identically the same as that described by De Buffon under the name of "Fer de cheval". Another sort was as large as, or larger than, a partridge; but of this species we were not fortunate enough to take one. We supposed it, however, to be the "Rousette" or "Rougette" of the same author.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Joseph Banks Print: Book
Letter xiv- "On Buffon's natural history" is a critique of the work
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: John Aikin Print: Book
'Goldsmith talks of cows shedding their Horns, & Thompson makes his Hens and Chicks to be
Fed & defended by the fearless Cock.
whereas the Cock hates the Chickens, & takes all their Meat from them. [Thrale continues to critique Goldsmith's knowledge of natural history] Pennant speaks most rationally about Natural History of any of our Countrymen, and among the Foreigners, Buffon makes amends to [italics] most [end italics] readers by his elegant Style & profound Ratiocination for his frequent Mistakes in the Facts.-
Johnson in his Irene frequently mentions singing Birds though I believe the Birds about Constantinople are nearly mute: Thompson observes that in hot Climates the Birds scarce ever sing'
Century: Reader/Listener/Group: Hester Lynch Thrale Print: Book
