Should we follow the train of reflections which naturally arife from the contemplation of animals, they would fwell this preface into a volume: and should we only mention the various uses of British animals in common life, yet even thefe would greatly exceed the bounds to which we have thought it right to limit ourselves. The knowlege of Dietetics is a neceffary branch of medicine, as by a proper attention to that article, an obftinate diftemper may be eradicated, when common remedies have failed; but this can never be attained, without the study of Zoology, which affifts us greatly in learning the different qualities of animal food; and how far a difference of nutriment may contribute to cure the disease.

Cloathing is effential, not only to our comfort, but subfiftence; and the number of our manufactures, relative to this single article, demand our care for their extenfion and improvement; efpecially as the maintenance of thousands depends on these important branches of commerce; yet these may be enlarged, by discovering new properties in animals, or by the farther cultivation of those already difcovered. The science of Zoology is requifite for each of these; and if we reflect but a little on the unwearied diligence of our rivals the French, we should attend to every fifter science that may any ways preferve our fuperiority in. manufactures and commerce.

Domestic

Domestic œconomy is an object of equal confequence; and the author of the Calendar of Flora has established the uses of Zoology in this particular, with undeniable evidence. This excellent writer has united a happy invention, with the most folid judgment, and certainly merits the highest commendations, as a friend of human kind. Our ingenious countryman, and worthy friend, the late Mr. Stilling fleet, in the fame year pursued almost the same plan as far as his time would permit, with equal fuccefs, and manifeftly proved the utility of the project, in a learned difcourfe prefixed to his work +.

If then Zoology can fuggeft fo many hints towards enlarging and improving our manufactures and agriculture; we shall not think our time mifapplied, in offering to the publick, the NATURAL HISTORY of the Quadrupeds and Birds of GREAT BRITAIN. This compilation had its peculiar difficulties; but the labor of travelling through a dry arrangement of the fubject, was very frequently alleviated by the beautiful fpecimens we met with in our progrefs: befides, we own with pleasure that we have been greatly aided by the lovers of natural history, who fince the appearance of the first edition have contributed to enrich the present with several valuable obfervations; by collecting

Alex. Mal. Berger.

Swedish Tracts, tranflated from the Aman. Acad. fecond edition.

and

and digesting these materials, we have not only rendered the work more complete, but are alfo encouraged to trace the British Zoology through fome of the remaining claffes.

Let therefore every merit that may appear in the present edition, and every error that may have been suppressed from the former, be attributed to the kind informations we have received from our learned and ingenious friends; among whom we are, ambitious of naming the Honorable Daines Barrington; the Reverend Sir John Cullum, Baronet; the Reverend Mr. George Ashby, and the Reverend Mr. Green of Cambridge; William Conftable, Efquire; Jofeph Banks, Efquire; the late Benjamin Stilling fleet, Efquire; Thomas Falconer, Efquire, of Chefter; Doctor John Reinold Forfter; the Reverend Doctor Buckworth; the Reverend Mr. Hugh Davies, of Beaumaris; Mr. Travis, Surgeon, of Scarborough; Mr. Latham, Surgeon, of Dartford; Thomas Tofield, of Yorkshire, Efquire; Mr. Plymly, of Longnor, Shropshires Owen Holland, Efquire, of Conway; Henry Seymer, Efquire, of Hanford, Wilts; Doctor Lyfons, of Glocefter; Doctor Salander; the late Mr. Peter Collinfon; the Reverend Mr. White, of Selborn, Hants; and that Father of British Ornithologists, the late. Mr. George Edwards, of the College of Phyficians..

In the prosecution of our plan, we fhall, to avoid the perplexity arifing from forming a new fyftem, adopt (as

far

far as relates to the Quadrupeds and Birds) that of the ineftimable Ray, who advanced the study of nature far beyond all that went before him; and whose abilities, integrity, and mildness, were no less an ornament to the human fpecies in general, than to his own country in particular. Yet, as this excellent man was in a manner the founder of fyftematic Zoology, fo later discoveries have made a few improvements on his labors: wherever then, he is mistaken in the arrangement, we shall attempt a reform, affifted by the more modern fyftems, all of which owe their rife to the plan chalked out by our illuftrious countryman. It is unneceffary to detain the reader in this place with the reafons for our deviation from the order we observed in our last edition, for they are given at large in the Prefaces to our Synopfis of Quadrupeds and Genera of Birds*.

We have, in our descriptions, wholly omitted the anatomy of animals; as that part, unless executed with the greatest skill, would be no small blemish to the rest of this performance; but the reader may judge of the extent of our plan, by the following heads: the character of the genus shall first be mentioned: then the specific name: the fynonyms from different authors; and the genera in which those authors have placed the animal. The names shall be

• Printed at Edinburgh, 1773.

given in feveral European languages *; and we shall conclude with a brief, but sufficient description, adding at the fame time, the various ufes, and natural history of each individual.

If this plan fucceeds, in promoting the knowlege of nature in this kingdom, we shall think ourselves amply rewarded. Could our exhortations avail, we should recommend this study most earnestly to every country gentleman. To thofe of an active turn, we might say, that fo pleafing and useful an employment would relieve the tædium arifing from a fameness of diverfions; every object would produce some new observation, and while they might seem only to gratify themselves with a present indulgence, they would be laying up a fund of useful knowlege; they would find their ideas fenfibly enlarged, till they comprehended the whole of domestic œconomy, and the wife order of Providence.

To those of a fedentary difpofition, this study would not only prove agreeable, but falutary: men of that turn of

* In the ornithology the European names are prefixed to the author referred to in the fynonyms,