PREFACE. Vv 
orders. "These cases are few; and as faras I 
have applied his orders, I can discover no materi- 
al inconvenience on this account. 
Cuvier’s classification is certainly a great im- 
provement upon that of Linneus, in most cases. 
But I have not followed him in the orders of Pis- 
ces and of Molluscous animals. His method 
would undoubtedly be preferable, if we could 
make it convenient to dissect every animal in these 
classes, which comes under examination. In the 
study of molluscous animals, we are chiefly con- 
fined to the empty shells; it being impossible for 
most students to obtain the animals inhabiting the 
Shells. And one important use of the study of 
Zoology is to prepare the student for geological 
investigations. In this department we never find 
the remains, or ¢xterior castings, of the soft parts 
of animals. 
Few students will have leisure te pursue the 
study of Zoology for a great length of time. 
Therefore they will generally require a text-book, 
which will lead them by the shortest course to a 
general outline of the science. And this outline 
should be pursued by a method, which is adapted 
to the means of farther progress, which may be 
within their reach. The only English work, te 
be found in our towns and villages, te which we 
can conveniently resort for specific descriptions, is 
*4 
