Kezu Vuhlica lions. S3 



natural hiftorv, as is that of Sir Ifaac Newton in natural phi- 

 lofophy, or that of Lavoifier in chemiftry. 



In this volume Dr. Shaw gives the firft part of" a general 

 fyftem of zoology, in which the arrangement of Linnaeus iwS 

 to be chiefly followed. Quadrupeds, birds, amphibia, fifties, 

 infeefs, vermes, teftaceous animals, zoophytes, are to be 

 comprehended in the fyftem. It is to be completed in ten 

 or twelvp volumes. The prefent volume comprehends the 

 hjftory of the primates, bruta, and ferce, the three firft orders 

 'in the clafs of mammalia or viviparous quadrupeds. The 

 peculiar advantages of this fyftem are, as the author hopes, 

 to a rife from the combination of the arrangement of Lin- 

 naeus with the materials contained in the works of Button 

 and Pennant; from the correction of errors relative to fynd- 

 nyms ; the inftitution of new fpecies; the addition of more 

 clearlv diltinclive fpecifie characters ; from the communica- 

 tion of thofe new faefs in natural hiftorv which have been 

 learned in la-te Voyages to the South Sea, and particularly 

 by obfervations made in the great ifland of Aufttvihiiia, or 

 New Holland. The deleriptions are illuftrated, as the title- 

 page expreffes, with engravings of the forms of many of the 

 animals described. Thefe engravings are copied from the 

 works of Buffon and other naturalifts, from various original 

 drawings, and from fpecimens in the Leverian and the 

 Britiih mufacum. The hiftory of thirty-eight different genera 

 of quadrupeds is contained in the firft volume. The en- 

 gravings are, in general, well executed by Heath and other 

 artifts. 



It is extremely probable that the whole work, if conducted 

 to an end with the lame care and fkiil which appear in the 

 firft volume, will prefent a fuller and more correct fyftem 

 than has been as yet publifhcd of our knowledge in zoology. 

 Its chief merits are, great clcarncfs. and accuracy of defcrip- 

 tion, fidelity of reprefentation in the engravings, cafe and 

 perfpjeuity of tlyle, jiift discrimination as to uifiinetive cha- 

 racters, and the increafe which it affords of the number of 

 known animals. Its chief imperfefiiom are, (hat the author 

 appears to have ftudied more in cabinets of curiofiiics, than by 

 converting with living nature; that he alllimes for bisautho* 

 ( INI 3 fitk* 



