VI PREFACE. 



what, in the case of the above edition of that work, 

 it was easy to transfer to it in the form of notes. 



The present volume, therefore, may be considered 

 as an original work, offered in lieu of a reprint of 

 the old one by Dr. Aikin, though for the most part 

 similar to this last in plan and arrangement. The 

 " Observations," which occupy a large proportion of 

 it, are of a miscellaneous kind, and relate to various 

 branches of Natural History ; but they are all ar- 

 ranged under independent heads, and the animals to 

 which they refer are classified according to their 

 respective places in the system : by this means they 

 will admit of being readily referred to as occasion 

 may require. Of these observations a few have been 

 contributed to the author by some of his friends, 

 who have kindly interested themselves in the subject, 

 and to whom he here begs to express his thanks ; 

 but the great majority of them have been made by 

 himself., and principally in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of his own residence. At the same time they 

 have been made at very different times, over a con- 

 siderable number of years, as the dates which are 

 annexed to many of them sufficiently shew ; some 

 going as far back as the day, when he was only just 

 commencing observer, and yet warm with the ardour 

 inspired by a first perusal of White's own work. 

 Indeed, not unfrequently the observations relate to 

 matters, which the author had been led to notice 

 from what White himself had previously observed ; or 

 they are accompanied by remarks suggested entirely 

 by what the latter had written upon the same subjects. 

 This will account for the frequent allusions to White, 



