PREFACE. 



SOME apology may seem to be necessary for 

 the appearance of a new work upon Natural 

 History, more especially of a work that is sanc- 

 tioned by no name or authority, and pretends 

 to no systematic arrangement. Now these, which 

 not a few may think imperfections, are intended 

 to enable the British Naturalist to stand up for 

 judgment, to be awarded according to its real 

 merits. The dictum of authority, and the divi- 

 sions of system, are the bane of study to the 

 people at large. The former never fails to 

 repress the spirit of inquiry ; and in the latter, 

 the parts are so many, and so scattered, that 

 one cannot understand the whole: it were as 

 easy to tell the hour from the disjointed move- 

 ments of a number of watches jumbled together 

 in a box, as to find " how nature goes," from the 

 mere dissection of her works. 



I do not want to hear the harangue of the 

 exhibitor ; I want to see the exhibition itself, and 

 b 



M34S973 



