IV. PREFACE. 



example, whereby incalculable advantages ma}- be derived 

 to thousands yet unborn. The generality of men, indeed, 

 are little affected by observations of this sort : regardless of 

 the voice of reason, and lost to a sense of duty, they neither 

 know nor enquire why they were sent upon the stage of life ; 

 they stumble on still in darkness and error, and waste their 

 days without a single effort to be useful to the community in 

 which they live : they see not the wonders which the universe 

 presents to stimulate them to reflect on the wisdom, the 

 power, and the goodness which planned and support the 

 whole. Despairing of their improvement, whose minds have 

 thus been suffered to grow up into maturity uncultivated, we 

 should rather direct our attention to the sowing of the seeds 

 of knowledge in the minds of youth. 



The great work of forming the man cannot be begun too 

 early; and, agreeably with this sentiment, how many writers 

 are there who spend their lives in contributing, in various 

 ways, to turn the streams of instruction through their proper 

 channels, into this most improveable soil ! Taking children 

 by the hand, from their leading-strings and go-carts, they 

 direct their steps, like guardian-angels, in the outset of life, 

 to prevent their floundering on in ignorance to the end. In 

 these undertakings the instructors of youth are often assisted 

 by the fertile genius of the artist, who supplies their works 

 with such embellishments as .serve to relieve the lengthened 

 sameness of the way. Among the many approved branches 

 of instruction, the study of Natural History holds a distin- 

 guished rank. To enlarge upon the advantages which are 

 derivable from a knowledge of the creation, is surely not 

 necessary; to become initiated into this knowledge, is to be- 

 come enamoured of its charms; to attain the object in view 

 requires but little previous study or labour; the road which 

 leads to it soon becomes strewed with flowers, and ceases to 

 fatigue; a flow is given to the imagination, which banishes 

 early- prejudices, and expands the ideas; and an endless fund 

 of the most rational entertainment is spread out, which 



