XIV PREFACE TO THE 







up numerous and uncommonly curious 

 views of nature in the mineral kingdom : it 

 shews him the commencement of the forma- 

 tion of organic beings, it points out the 

 gradual succession in the formation of ani- 

 mals, from the almost primeval coral near 

 the primitive strata, through all the wonder- 

 ful variety of form and structure observed 

 in shells, fishes, amphibious animals, and 

 birds, to the perfect quadruped of the al- 

 luvial land ; and it makes him acquainted 

 with a geographical and physical distribution 

 of organic beings in the strata of the globe, 

 very different from what is observed to hold 

 in the present state of the organic world. 

 The zoologist views with wonder and 

 amazement those hosts of fossil animals, 

 sometimes so similar to the present living 

 species, at other times so far removed from 

 them in form and structure. He compares 

 the fossil orders, genera and species, with 

 those now inhabiting the earth's surface, or 

 living in its waters, and discovers that there 



