rous of entering into useless refinements, or 

 tedious abstractions. 



Long has the greater part of mankind la- 

 boured under difficulties, which might have 

 been avoided by an acquaintance with the dis- 

 coveries of travellers and philosophers. During 

 the study of most sciences, we notice improve- 

 ments unknown to the majority of the people ; 

 and in no one have these become more conspi- 

 cuous, than in the study of natural history, 

 and particularly that portion of it which relates 

 to the extinct animals of the immense and in- 

 teresting continent of America. 



Since the wild conjectures of deluded men 

 were banished from the annals of natural his- 

 tory, the study has become one of the most 

 useful and pleasing to all of a common under- 

 standing. The science is now characterised by 

 a manner, hostile only to the pride of the pe- 

 dantic scholar. I have the honor to open some 

 of the most extensive scenes ; — let their mag- 

 nificence lead the intelligent. An entrance is 

 desired, that the wonderful greatness and wis- 

 dom displayed in the operations of nature may 

 be contemplated with rapture, in parts ne- 



