INTRODUCTION. 



The history of the "Second American Edition" of Guthrie's 

 Geography, the only edition containing the complete part relating 

 to North American Zoology prepared by George Ord, is involved in 

 strange obscurity. Strictly speaking, this edition is not the ' 'Second 

 American," but is third. It is, however, the second of the three 

 editions published by Johnson and Warner, the first appearing in 

 1809 and the last in 1820. The first of all the American editions of 

 Guthrie's Geography that I can discover is a quarto in two volumes, 

 the first bearing date February ist, 1794, the second, April 27th, 

 1795. This edition was also published in Philadelphia, the title page 

 stating it was 'printed for Mathew Carey." The edition of 1794 and 

 1809 contain no attempt at systematic zoology beyond desultory 

 notices of the more striking animal productions of the world. I have 

 been able to find seven volumes of the edition of 1794 and one volume 

 of the edition of 1809 in our principal Philadelphia libraries. Of the 

 edition of 1820, I have been able to find one copy. It was known 

 to Prof. Baird, and Dr. Coues gives its full title in the Bibliographical 

 Appendix to his Birds of the Colorado Valley and remarks that the 

 zoological portion "consists of that given in the second ed., 1815, q. v., 

 but with the omission of the systematic list, which represented the 

 whole of the technical value of the matter. Ord's name does not 

 appear in connection with this performance." 



Complete titles of these editions and the bibliographic references 

 thereto, made by Prof. Baird and Dr. Coues, will be found in the 

 Appendix to this work. It is hoped that the above facts will stimulate 

 all interested persons in the search for copies of the editions of 1815 

 and 1820. A strange fatalilty seems to have overtaken all the Johnson 

 and Warner editions when it is considered that the only known copy 

 of the second edition has just come to light. There is only one copy of 

 the third edition in four of the most important Philadelphia libraries and 

 only half a copy of the first edition. The Carey quarto edition does 

 not seem to be rare. 



