abounded uitli all the fertility of genius, and evin- 

 ced uncommon research and indefatigable indus- 

 try. Our modern naturalists, with some distin- 

 guished exceptions, confine their attention almost 

 exclusively to the forma et descriptio ; and natu- 

 ral science in their hands has become a study of 

 hard words, instead of the study of animal, vege- 

 table, and mineral nature. 



In the ksv illustrations which I have given of 

 the zoology of this country, I have consulted ac- 

 curacy instead of wandering into the flowery fields 

 of fancy. My stock of information must necessa- 

 rily be very limited so far as it depends on my 

 own observation — and my opportunities for deri- 

 ving information from others have not been many. 

 The hints or intimations which I throw out may 

 serve sometimes as clues to more interesting inves- 

 tigations, and a wider field of natural science was 

 never afforded than that which this country fur- 

 nishes. 



In various places I have seen the falco lenco- 

 cephalus, or bald eagle ; the falco ossifragus, or 

 grey eagle; and the falco halieetus, or osprey. 

 In Turtius Linnaeus the osprey is confounded with 

 the grey eagle, but this is an error of the editor, 

 not of the immortal author; and Wilson suppo- 

 ses that the grey eagle is a junior bald eagle, 

 which lias uot arrived to maturity* It is well 



