PREFACE. 



zeal for the science, which rendered enlarged sys 

 terns desirable and even necessary. So it is con- 

 jectured, that a small treatise on Zoology may in- 

 spire a degree of zeal, sufficient to encourage the 

 publication of an enlarged work, 



It will appear by the title page, that 1 have 

 adopted Dr. Shaw's genera, instead of Cuvier's ; 

 though I have distributed the genera of Shaw ac- 

 cording to Cu vier's system of classification. After 

 comparing Cuvier's system of genera with that of 

 Shaw, I find no other essential difference, than 

 What arises from the numerous subdivisions of the 

 Linnean genera made by Cuvier. The student 

 will consequently learn nothing in using Shaw's 

 genera, which he must unlearn if he should 

 thereafter study animals according to Cuvier'f 

 subdivisions. Besides, it is far from being a set- 

 tled point among naturalists, that the modern sub- 

 divisions of genera in the animal and vegetable 

 kingdoms, are preferable to subdivisions into sec- 

 tions of species according to the method of Lin- 

 neas, which is followed by Shaw. To these re- 

 marks I must add, that Cuvier's long descriptions^ 

 which are essential upon his anatomical plan> 

 could not be given in a small school-book. And 

 even if given, they could not be understood in 

 -many cases, without a competent knowledge of 

 anatomy. The species of some of the Linneau 

 genera are subdivided by Cuvier's divisions of 



