PREFACE. 



The First book is devoted to the anatomy and physiology 

 of animals 



The Second, embraces the classification of the animal 

 kingdom ; and the consideration of mammalia, or those 

 animals which are suckled while in the infant state 



The Third, is devoted to the study of birds 



The Fourth, is occupied with an account of reptiles and 

 fishes 



The Fifth, embraces that branch of our subject which 

 treats of the mollusca or soft animals, and, consequently, 

 includes the elements of conchology 



The Sixth, includes a consideration of articulated ani- 

 mals, insects, myriapods, arachnidans, crustaceans, cirrho- 

 pods, annelidans, and zoophytes, or radiated animals 



The Seventh, is devoted to vegetable physiology and 

 botany 



And the Eighth, to Geology. 



To the whole is appended a Lexicon, or Glossary, which 

 contains the derivation and explanation of between five 

 and six thousand technical terms and names, used in the 

 various departments of Natural History. In the Glossary, 

 Greek words are printed in italics, and, where it occurs, the 

 omega is marked thus (o). 



The volumes are illustrated by nearly a thousand en- 

 gravings, executed by Mr. G. Thomas. 



The work is based chiefly, though not entirely, upon the 

 text of MILNE EDWARDS, ACHILLE COMTE, and F. S. BEU- 

 DANT, Professors of Natural History in the Colleges of 

 Henri IY. and Charlemagne, in France. Besides the 

 works of these distinguished teachers, those of Cuvier, T. 

 Rymer Jones, Lamarck, Blainville, Thomas Say, Nuttall, 

 Lindley, Loudon, Smith, Gray, Reed, Ansted, Lyell, Man- 

 tel, Murchison, Trimmer, Buckland, Bakewell, Lea, De la 

 Beche, Parkinson, Phillips, Dana, Percival, Charles T. 

 Jackson, Henry D. Rogers, Morton, Conrad, &c., &c., have 



