Xll PREFACE. 



to which reference was indispensible. To that gentle- 

 man, the Reverend Dr. Fleming, of King's College, 

 whose generous interest in the progress of the work has 

 been peculiarly encouraging to me, I feel most truly 

 grateful. The naturahsts of other places to whom I am 

 indebted on this occasion are Mr. Gray, of the British 

 Museum ; Dr. Johnston, of Berwick-on-Tweed ; Mr. 

 Jenyns, of Cambridge ; Mr. Thompson, of Belfast ; Mr. 

 Harley of Leicester ; and Mr. Hepburn, of Haddington- 

 shire. 



I beheve that more than two-thu'ds of the species de- 

 scribed were gathered by myself. The discoveries of my 

 friends and pupils are mentioned in the proper places. I 

 may here explain that I mean thus to record the aid I 

 have received, and to indicate the progress of investiga- 

 tion, with reference solely to this work, and without the 

 least intention of interfering with the labours of others, 

 who may have found some of the same species years or 

 hours before they occurred to me or my friends, and 

 without alluding to those observed by myself in 181 7, 

 and 1818, when, having just commenced my Zoological 

 studies, I collected about thirty species. 



It may further be mentioned, that all the specific 

 descriptions are taken from objects found in the district, 

 and have reference to them only, not to the same species 

 as occurring elsewhere ; that I have admitted none that 

 I have not seen and examined myself, with the exception 

 of one species ; that, in cases of doubt, I have compared 

 the objects with others obtained from various quarters ; 

 that I have submitted some of them to the examination 

 of one or other of the eminent Naturalists mentioned 

 above ; and that if, owing to my remoteness from 

 museums and extensive libraries, I have, in some in- 

 stances, failed in giving the objects their proper names, 

 the authentic descriptions made will yet serve to shew 

 what they are. The classic, ordinal, and generic cha- 

 racters, when not entirely original, which the latter 

 usually are, have been taken from the works of INIilnc- 

 Edwards, Blainville, Lamarck, Gray, Montagu, Turton, 



