PREFATORY NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 
THE untimely Decease of the lamented AuTHOR of 
the “ MEDALS OF CREATION” during the progress of 
the present edition through the press has unavoidably 
delayed its publication. 
The First Volume has been wholly rewritten oe 
the Author. 
The materials of the Second Volume had been 
elaborately revised and much enlarged by Dr. MANTELL 
previously to his Decease. The Eprror has laboured 
to carry out the intentions of the Author in rendering 
this part of the Work as complete a compendium as 
possible of the Paleontological history of the Organic 
Beings of which it treats, and in adapting it to the 
requirements of the Geological Student of the present 
time. 
The various sources from which paleontological and 
zoological information has been derived have, for the 
most part, been adverted to in the text or in the foot- 
