X 



Should the following fiieets be deemed to poITefs 

 any fniiill (hare of merit, the public are indebted to the 

 labours of a fricni, who not only undertook the en- 

 graving, but in part aifo the colouring of the figures; 

 executed from the objetis themfclves, they are a faith- 

 ful reprefentation, unadorned with tlie gaudy, high- 

 coloured tints, which too often miOead. 



But for this affiftance, fo neceiTary in the fmaller 

 fpecies, this work miglit never have ((^en the light; and 

 it is only to be regretted, that it was found too large an 

 undertaking for the hand that gave it exiftence, to figure 

 all the fiiells that could have been wiflied. 



As this friend of fcience, however, may not undc- 

 fervedly 'eel the fliafts of the critical artift, it may be 

 right to difarm them, by obferving that, the feminine 

 hand of the engraver was felf taught, and claims no 

 ether merit in the execution, than what refults from a 

 defire to further fcience by a correal reprefentation o{ 

 the original drawings, taken by the fam.e hand; both 

 equally the works of amufement, not labour for emolu- 

 ment. Further, it was not originally intended that any 

 but coloured figures fliould be given, and that only to a 

 few copies, printed on fuperior paper ; but overpowered 

 hy the defire of particular friends, plain impreflTicns are 



fuflfered 



