XU 
PREFACE. 
an example of a strongly characteristic genus and species of each. 
I have, however, termed his families tribes, as I consider the 
term as applied by him, inconsistent. The Crustaceous Ani¬ 
mals are also principally arranged agreeably to the same author. 
In the lower animals, Cuvier is chiefly followed. 
I have ventured in some instances to add to the Generic 
Characters of the above learned men, when I observed particu¬ 
lars of importance which they had omitted. 
In point of illustration, it is presumed, that so far as regards 
examples of genera, this work is more complete than any book 
on Zoology, which has yet been printed. In the Mammalia, an 
illustration of nearly the whole genera is given, and the Birds 
and Shells are both complete. In the Insects a characteristic 
figure of every tribe has been selected,—as is also the case 
in the other departments : and although the figures are on a 
small scale, they are executed with a fidelity by Mr Scott, which 
is highly creditable to him ; they amount in all to nearly eleven 
hundred and fifty. 
The publishers have spared no expense in obtaining figures of 
all the new and rare genera, so that the three principal depart¬ 
ments might be rendered as complete as possible, and the plates 
of themselves amounting to one hundred and seven, will form an 
elegant and interesting volume. 
Owing' to the plates having been engraved to illustrate my edi¬ 
tion of Goldsmith’s Animated Nature, and The Zoologist’s 
Text Book, they have a double numbering, indicative of the 
order of their arrangement in these Works respectively. The 
numbering preceded by a G indicates the order of their arrange¬ 
ment in Goldsmith, and the numbering preceded by a T the 
order of their arrangement in The Zoologist’s Text Book. 
