PROSPECTUS 



OF A 



HISTORY OF BRITISH REPTILES. 



BY THOMAS BELL, F.R.S. 



PROFESSOR OF ZOOLOGY IN KINg's COLLEGE. 



In pursuance of the plan already commenced by the publication of 

 the History of British Fishes and of British Quadrupeds, 

 it is intended that the latter work, now nearly finished, shall be 

 immediately succeeded by a History of British Reptiles, by the 

 same author ; which, with the former works, and that of Mr. Yarrell 

 on British Birds, will complete the Natural History of the Ver- 

 tebrate Animals of the British Islands. 



The Reptiles of this country, although few in number, are not 

 devoid of considerable interest ; their habits are popularly much 

 misunderstood, and several innocent and useful species are shunned 

 and destroyed, from a mistaken notion that they are directly or 

 indirectly noxious to man. The elucidation of their habits, the 

 distinctive description of the species, their geographical distribution, 

 and the history of the transformation of all the amphibious forms, 

 are amongst the subjects which will be fully discussed. 



The author has already to offer his thanks for the promise of much 

 valuable assistance, particularly from a well known zealous naturalist 

 of Ireland, whose communications on the reptiles of that portion of 

 the kingdom cannot but be highly interesting ; and he solicits from 

 all who are engaged in the pursuit of British Zoology, the continu- 

 ance of the kind and liberal attention which he has already so 

 extensively received during the progress of his former work. 



The wood-cuts will be numerous, corresponding in their general 

 style with those of the preceding works ; and in addition to a figure 

 of each species, and of some of the most important varieties, will 

 comprise many illustrations of structure and development, parti- 

 cularly the transformation of the Batrachian genera. 



Part I. will be published on the 2nd of October, price 25. 6d. in 

 Demy 8vo, and 5s. in Royal 8vo. ; and a very limited number of 

 copies will also be printed in Imperial 8vo. uniform with the History 

 of the British Quadrupeds and British Fishes. The last size 

 cannot be delivered until complete, and Subscribers are requested to 

 forward their names to the Publisher. 



London, I\fai/ 1837. 



JOHN VAN VOORST, 1, PATERNOSTER-ROW. 



