PREFACE. 



AS I never profeflTed myfelf a Concho- 

 logift, I think it incumbent on me 

 to give fome account of the caufe for at- 

 tempting the elements of the ftudy. 



The bent of my refearches is the foflil 

 kuigdom. In purfuing that fcieiice, the part 

 of it emphatically called the extraneous fojjils^ 

 as fubflances not the real produftions of 

 the earth, but inconteflably the exuvice 

 or remains of animals and vegetables, I 

 found (hould be methodized only by the 

 fyftems of Zoology and Botany. 



The mod numerous remains of animals 



found folfil, are of the Teftaceous order. 



They ard not only very frequent, but 



generally near entire or perfedl: whereas 



the foffil remains of other animals^ as alfo 



Vegetables, are moftly found in detached 



parts or fragments. 



a a I was 



