XIV 



Tournefort in botany^ and of Brisson in zoology;, 

 as I thi.k them to be ir.ore simple and better 

 known to the world ir. oeneral. 



In describing' objects of natural historV;, t 

 have avoided the use of technical terms, as being; 

 difficult to be understood by those not conver- 

 sant with that study; but for the gratification of 

 such as are familiar with that science^ I have 

 given, at the bottom of the page, the Linnaan 

 characters in Lafin, both of the known species, 

 and of ihohc that are new, which I have dis- 

 covered*. My descriptions wilL for the most 

 part^ be found to be short, and such as merely 

 furnish the essential character of the species. 

 The common characteristics of the genus I have 

 pnsscd over intentionally, and it will be found 

 that the same brevity prevails throughout the 

 work, which is written in a plain and unaixected 

 manner, without bewildering myself with vague 

 conjectures and hazardous hypotheses, which 

 would have been deviating altogether from the 

 limits that I hud prescribed to myself. 



I have frequently quoted those authors who 

 have written uj.'on Chili, and have judged this 

 precaution tlie more necessary, as, in treating of 

 a country so remote and so little knowu, 1 could 



* Jl has Icen thought adcisaUe in tkis version to wale some 

 variahon in this reipcct, and, conjhrmaily therctv, the techni- 

 cal descriptions will le found, at the end of the volume^ ar- 

 Tan<^cd uiidar their respective headi\,,.\incx. Trans. 



