ADVERTISEMENT. 



IN presenting to the American public an illustrated work 

 on Natural History, the Publisher begs leave to call the 

 attention of the reader to the enormous price demanded 

 for standard works upon all departments of Natural Science, 

 and the great difficulty of obtaining access to the most 

 valuable American and Foreign publications. These are 

 certainly obstacles which ought, if possible, to be removed, 

 as they have been a serious discouragement to the studies 

 of the naturalist, and the largest portion of the reading com- 

 munity. Many are the authors who have mixed up in 

 their numerous volumes, details of their travels and 

 voyages, scientific facts and disquisitions of much impor- 

 tance ; but all which are not available, unless by the pur- 

 chase of large and expensive works. 



It is the intention of the Publisher to obviate these 

 difficulties, and, at the same time, present to the public a 

 work not in the least inferior to those which have heretofore 

 appeared, and successfully commanded such an exorbitant 

 price ; thus enabling all classes to procure, at a low rate, 

 interesting information regarding the Great Works of Crea- 

 tion. It is with this view, that the Publisher of the 

 ILLUSTRATED NATURAL HISTORY has embarked in the 

 undertaking. 



The editorial department is entirely under the charge of 

 Dr. A. B. Strong, who has already availed himself of the 

 assistance of several of the most scientific naturalists of the 

 present time, whose co-operation has been secured. It 



