PREFACE. 





THE following work was originally published, as 

 one of a series of school books, by the Committee of 

 General Literature and Education appointed by the 

 Society for promoting Christian Knowledge. Altera- 

 tions and additions have been made to adapt it to the 

 use of schools in this country, and it is now offered 

 to the public as a suitable class-book of natural science, 

 for popular use ; presenting the pupil with a general 

 survey of the universe as a system ; of the three king- 

 doms of nature, and the classes of objects comprised 

 m each ; and, finally, of the form and structure of the 

 human frame. 



The editor believes that a work of this description 

 will be acceptable to parents, teachers, and pupils. 

 The summary views of the universe, and of the several 

 classes of objects comprised in the departments of 

 zoology, botany, and mineralogy, will supply a want 

 which has been frequently complained of by persons 

 interested in education. That part of the volume 

 which is devoted to a description of the human form 

 and structure, is, perhaps, the most important of all, 

 though it relates to a subject which has been surpris- 

 ingly neglected in our schools and academies. While 

 our children are taught many branches of learning 

 which are nearly useless, not a single school book 

 in common use contains that amount of information 

 concerning the physiology of man which is essential 



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