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PREFACE. 



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The present essay, reprinted from the sixty-second 

 volume of the "Philosophical Transactions," was, like 

 the " Faunula Americana," no doubt written by Forster 

 during his temporary residence in this country before his 

 departure with Cook on his second voyage. 



The circumstances which led to its preparation are 

 explained in the following paragraph, which is attached 

 to the corresponding paper on the Quadrupeds of 

 Hudson's Bay (P/ii/. Trans. LXII. p. 370). 



"Among the occasional advantages, which the observations 

 of the late Transit of Venus have procured, that of receiving 

 useful informations from, and settling correspondencies in, 

 several parts of the world, is not the least considerable. 

 From the factory at Hudson's Bay, the Royal Society were 

 favoured with a large collection of uncommon quadrupeds, 

 birds, fishes, &c., together with some account of their names, 

 place of abode, manner of life, uses, by Mr Graham, a gentle- 

 man belonging to the settlement on Severn River; and the 

 Governors of the Hudson's Bay Company have most obligingly 

 sent orders, that these communications should be from time to 

 time continued." 



''The descriptions contained in the following papers were 

 prepared and given by Mr Forster, before his departure on an 

 expedition, which will probably open an ample field to the 

 most important discoveries." 



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