V1U PREFACE. 



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 or- 

 ganic beings in the strata of the globe very dif- 

 ferent from what is observed to hold in the 

 present state of the organic world. The zoo- 

 logist 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 spe- 

 cies with those now inhabiting the earth's sur- 

 face, or living in its waters, and discovers that 

 there is a whole system of animals in a fossil 

 state different from the present. Even the 

 physiologist, in the various forms, connexions, 

 and relations of the parts of those animals, ob- 

 tains new facts for his descriptions and reason- 

 ings. Such, then, being the nature of this 

 branch of natural history, it is not surprising 

 that, when once understood, it should have 

 many and zealous cultivators, and occupy the 

 talents of men of learning and sagacity. In 



