10 A NOTICE OF THE 



Ignorance and stubborn-rooted opinions, even in this country, 

 have rendered some odious that are eminently useful ; and involved 

 the manners of others in fable and mystery, which in themselves 

 are plain and open as day. To remove prejudices, "when they 

 oppose themselves to the influence of humanity, is a difficult, and 

 when effected, a most pleasing employment. If, therefore, in 

 divesting this part of natural history of our country of many of 

 its fables and most forbidding features, and thus enabling our 

 youth to become more intimately acquainted with this charming 

 portion of the feathered creation, I should have succeeded in 

 multiplying their virtuous enjoyments, and in rendering them 

 more humane to those little choristers, how gratifying to my heart 

 would be the reflection ! For, to me, it appears that, of all infe- 

 rior creatures, Heaven seems to have intended birds as the most 

 cheerful associates of man ; to soothe and exhilarate him in his 

 labors by their varied melody, of which no other creature but 

 man is capable ; to prevent the increase of those inferior hosts of 

 insects that would soon consume the products of his industry; to 

 glean up the refuse of his fields, 'that nothing may be lost/ and, 

 what is of much more interest, to be to him the most endearing 

 examples of the tenderest connubial love and parental affection." 



Under the head of mammalogy, naturalists have described 

 about 2,000 species of animals, which, while young, subsist on 

 the milk of their mothers. All known quadrupeds, whales,, 

 dolphins, &c., are included in this class.. Amongst them-^re 

 our beasts of burden, the cattle of our fields, and domesticated 

 animals of many kinds. They are familiar to all ; but perhaps, 

 every one is not aware that a full knowledge of their nature con- 

 tributes to the improvement of agricultural stock, and affords 

 indications of rational methods of treating the diseases to which 

 domestic animals are obnoxious. 



Mineralogy teaches the characters by which simple minerals 

 or stones may be recognized and distinguished from each other. 

 The costly errors into which persons totally ignorant of this 

 science have fallen illustrates its utility. A man in England 

 found upon his farm a great quantity of sulphate of barytes, 

 and, believing from its weight that it must be a rich ore of leadj 

 expended a large sum in building a furnace for smelting it v 

 Another paid a considerable amount of money for a few pieces 

 of white topaz, which he conceived to be diamonds. Men in 



