P E E F A C E. 



1^1 HE Society for Promoting Cliristian Knowledge 

 being naturally desirous of promulgating as 

 extensively as possible sound information relative 

 to the works of Almighty God^ issued some time 

 ago a series of "Tabular Views/^ illustrative of tlie 

 modern Classification of Animals, containing- en- 

 graved figures of typical forms, representing tlie 

 families and sub-families composing the Animal 

 Creation. 



These Tables, arranged by the highest autho- 

 rities in their respective departments, and illus- 

 trated by eminent artists, have however proved 

 insufficient for the purpose intended, inasmuch as 

 the history of the objects represented could only 

 be derived from extraneous sources, sometimes 

 not easily attainable by the general student. 



To obviate this deficiency, the Society have re- 

 solved upon the publication of a series of volumes, 

 combining with the portraits of the animals de- 

 scriljed an account of the zoological characters 



