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The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21).
Volume XIV. The Victorian Age, Part Two.

VIII. The Literature of Science

§ 52. Central America

During the nineteenth century, many other expeditions left Great Britain to explore the natural history of the world, some the result of public, some of private, enterprise. They are too numerous to mention. But a word must be said about the wonderful exploration of central America which has just been completed, under the auspices of F.D. Goodman and O. Salvin. The results are incorporated in a series of magnificently illustrated quarto volumes which have been issued during the last thirty-six years. Fifty-two of these relate to zoology, five to botany and six to archaeology. Nearly forty thousand species of animals have been described of which about twenty thousand are new, and nearly twelve thousand species of plants. There are few remote and partially civilised areas of the world whose zoology and botany are on so secure a basis, and this is entirely owing to the munificence and enterprise of the above-mentioned men of science.

With regard to our own shores, one of the features of the latter part of the nineteenth century has been the establishment of marine biological stations, the largest of which is that of the Marine Biological association at Plymouth. The Gatty laboratory at St. Andrews, the laboratories at port Erin in the isle of Man, and at Cullercoats, have, also, for many years, been doing admirable work. All these establishments have devoted much technical skill and time to solve fishery and other economical problems connected with our seas.