iv PREFACE. 
| 
zeal for the science, which rendered enlarged sys- 
tems desirable and even necessary. So it is con- 
jectured, that a small treatise on Zoology may in- 
spire a degree of zeal, sufficient to encourage the 
publication of an enlarged work. 
ft will appear by the title page, that 1 have 
adopted Dr. Shaw’s genera, instead of Cuvier’s : 
though I have distributed the genera of Shaw ac- 
cording to Cuvier’s system of classification. After 
comparing Cuvier’s system of genera with that of 
“Shaw, I find no other essential difference, than 
what arises from the numerous subdivisions of the 
Linnean genera made by Cuvier. The student 
will consequently learn nothing in using Shaw’s 
genera, which he must unlearn if he should 
hereafter study animais according to Cuvier’s 
subdivisions. Besides, it is far from being a set- 
iled point among naturalists, that the modern sub: 
divisions of genera in the animal and vegetable 
kingdoms, are preferable to subdivisions into sec- 
tions of species according to the method of Lin- 
neas, which is followed by Shaw. ‘To these re- 
marks I mustadd, that Cuvier’s long descriptions, 
which are essential upon his anatomical plan, 
could not be given ina small school-book. And 
even if given, they could not de understood in 
many cases, without a competent knowledge of 
anatomy. The species of some of the Linnean 
genera, are subdivided by Cuvier’s divisions of 
