GEOGRAPHY OF ANIMALS IN SOUTH DEVON. 125 



of animals, or consider them indiscriminately; we 

 might also treat of them according to the order of 

 the conditions of their existence with us, which we 

 have adopted, disposing of one set of examples at^a 

 time ; we might consider them according to a clas- 

 sification of their localities ; or, lastly, we might 

 trace them as^ they are found to occur from our 

 northern'to our southern limit. The preference must 

 naturally be given to the last mode, since, by it, we 

 shall be enabled, in the progress of our remarks, to 

 avail ourselves of the advantages possessed by the 

 others : in our observations on the habits and habi- 

 tats of animals we shall judge of the correctness or 

 impropriety of the place assigned them by systems; 

 we shall also naturally consider anew, the conditions 

 of existence under which animals are placed with 

 us ; their localities will of course form great part of 

 our observations, and be considered in every possible 

 light to the amount of our abilities, and to the 

 amount of the space we shall allot ourselves ; lastly, 

 we shall not hesitate to make digressions and allu- 

 sions of any kind which may appear to illustrate or 

 further the intentions of this essay. 



Philophysicus. 

 Devonport. 



