286 Dr. A. Hall on the Mammals and Birds 



of Philadelphia, and the splendid work of Wilson and Buonaparte 

 supplies us with those met with in more Southern States * 



Those of Lower Canada have not yet received any attention, 

 a desideratum which it has been the professed aim of the author 

 to supply, how feeble soever the attempt may prove. The author 

 by no means puts forward the following catalogue as complete — 

 to render it as much so as possible, has been his constant care, 

 and he has invariably preferred omitting a doubtful species alto- 

 gether than to include it in the list. It requires many years of 

 careful attention, and unceasing watching to ascertain the varied 

 species of a district. Those which are subsequently enumerated 

 have all been observed by the author in this district, and have 

 been with very few exceptions described from prepared or killed 

 specimens. This method has been preferred to giving compiled 

 descriptions from authors ; but under circumstances where a 

 reference to a prepared specimen could not be had, the author's 

 name from whom the description is taken is given. 



With respect to the second it must be observed, that zoology 

 embraces a most comprehensive field, and includes within its 

 range every animated being from man to the zoophyte. A work 

 such as this could not be completed satisfactorily within as many 

 years as months, nine months having been the time allotted by 

 the Society, and taking this circumstance into consideration, I 

 construed the term more liberally, and confined myself to the 

 mammalia and aves, leaving the remainder of the subject for sub- 

 sequent work at my own convenience, if opportunity ofi'ered. 

 Should the present essay accord with the Society's views^on the 

 subject, one step will have been gained in elucidating the Zoology 



♦Since the preceding has been written Prof. Cassin and Mr. Baird of 

 Philadelphia, have bestowed great labour and pains upon this subject, 

 and the beautiful volume " Illustration of the birds of California, Texas, 

 Oregon, and British and Russian America," intended as a supplement to 

 Audubon's work, has appeared, and is a proof of the industry of the 

 former gentleman, and his devotion to this branch of natural science. 

 The writer, in obedience to the request of the Editors, was desirous 

 of arranging his work in accordance with the published modernized 

 classification of the latter gentleman, but was obliged to give up the 

 task, as he found something more to be necessary than a mere detailed 

 list of names, besides which he has discovered that Mr. Baird in his cata- 

 logue of North American Mammals, has made no allusion whatever to 

 the genera and species under the families of the vespertiliones and ce* 

 xacess. 



