vi PREFACE. 



were felecfled not as the only, or even the 

 moft valuable, but as anfwering beft the 

 intention of the tranflator ; which was 

 to make known more generally how far 

 all mankind is concerned in the ftudy of 

 natural hiflory, and thereby to incite fuch 

 as are properly qualified to profecute, and 

 encourage that branch of knowledge, and 

 fpread, as far as the nature of the thing 

 is capable of, amongft all orders of men in 

 this nation, the improvements made m it 

 by the excellent Linnseus. His name, it 

 mufl be confeffed, has been for fome time 

 paft in the mouths of people, but his 

 works, i imagine, are litde known except 

 to a few vertuofi who have a m.ore than 

 ordinary curiofity, and ardor to look into 

 the minute parts of nature. It cannot in- 

 deed be otherwife. For to underftand him 

 and to make ufe of his method, requires 



it as his own. How fur that may be the c^fe of all the 

 other pieces in the Amaen, Acr.d. i cannot pretend to fay. 

 But it is moft likely from the praaice in foreign uni- 

 verfities in relation to thefes held for degrees, that they 

 Kiufl in great part be attributed tohlmp as prefident. 



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