As long ago as 1857, Prof. Baird characterized the so-called Second 

 American Edition of Guthrie's Geography as " exceedingly rare, " ad- 

 ding, "I have never, even in Philadelphia, been able to see a perfect 

 copy. The Library of the Philadelphia Academy has the natural 

 history portion, separate." 



It is probably to this copy that Dr. Coues refers in the Bibliographic 

 Appendix to his Birds of the Colorado Valley. After giving part of 

 the title of this specimen, Dr. Coues notes, "above title defective 

 after the first two lines, the only copy I ever handled, having part of the 

 title page torn off. ' ' 



The all-around desirability of such a rare work, and the well known 

 activity of Dr. Coues in his bibliographic researches, seem to have failed 

 in revealing another copy, and, what is more unfortunate, to have re- 

 sulted in the mysterious disappearance of the copy belonging to the 

 Library of the Academy of Natural Sciences. 



The numerous applications from scientists, both at home and abroad , 

 for citations from this historic copy evidenced the extreme scarcity, if 

 not extinction, of this edition of Guthrie's Geography and inspired 

 certain workers at the Academy to renewed diligence in the search for 

 it. In a casual conversation with Dr. Edward J. Nolan, librarian of 

 the Academy, last November, he suggested to me that Mr. Ord, having 

 presented a quantity of his private books and papers to the Philadelphia 

 College of Physicians, it would be well to ask the College 

 Librarian if they had a copy of the long-lost work. On applica- 

 tion, I was informed that their library did not contain it, but as I was 

 leaving, the librarian remarked that I might inquire of Dr. J. Solis 

 Cohen, that gentlemen having purchased a number of books and papers 

 not coming within the scope of their library. I visited Dr. Cohen and 

 after a delay of two days received a letter announcing that he had a 

 perfect copy of the book I was after, containing marginal pencil notes 

 on the zoological portion. On comparing these notes with Mr. Ord's 

 letters written at that period, I feel no hesitation in attributing their 

 authorship to him, not only from the chirographic resemblance but 

 from the character of the notes themselves. 



As a reward for having identified the work, Dr. Cohen has kindly 

 placed the same in my custody until the present reprint could be 

 satisfactorily completed. For this courtesy Dr. Cohen deserves not 

 only the sincere gratitude of the editor, but of the scientific world, 

 for to his interest in these matters we owe the rescue of an invaluable 

 work from the musty chaos of some old book-store, or a fate even 

 more obscure. 



