PKEFACE. Vll 



will gradually disperse these mists of prejudice. It is how- 

 ever much to be regretted, that our public institutions are 

 wholly inadequate to facilitate not only the advancement 

 of students, but the researches of those who are alreadv 

 engaged in prosecuting their inquiries : in Scotland alone 

 are founded any Prolessorships of Natural History, and 

 the establishment of our National Museum (in this branch 

 only) is confessedly difficult: materials for study are 

 more necessary in this science than any other; yet the 

 public Institutions and libraries of the metropolis, " rich 

 and rare" in every other department of knowledge, in 

 most instances are deficient in this of the most elemen- 

 tary books; setting aside those of illustration, which, from 

 being unavoidably expensive and within the reach of few 

 purchasers, are niore particularly adapted for such gene- 

 ral repositories of learning. The protracted ill-health of its 

 noble possessor, was the cause no doubt of the Banksian 

 magnificent library being left deficient in several of the 

 latest continental works ; and that of the British Museum 

 I have reason to think is still more defective. To the 

 honour however of the keepers of the Bodleian and Rad- 

 cliffe Libraries, it should be mentioned, that no pains or 

 expense have been spared to render them as perfect in 

 this branch as possible ; and we have been told that the 

 latter particularly is the most magnificent in the kingdom. 



We shall now as briefly as possible advert to the con- 

 tents of this volume. 



In the Ornithological department the systems of Cu- 

 vier and Temminck have mostly superseded all others : 

 as a whole, we give a decided preference to the latter, 

 as being more natural, though it may be doubted if the 

 generic distinctions are not too few, while those of Cuvier 

 are too many : both however can be considered only as 

 sketches, subject to improvement — as natural affinities 

 are more studied. 



Regarding that part of our work which relates to En- 

 tomology, we have given a decided preference to the Le- 

 pidoptera, for the simple reason that this order has re- 

 ceived less attention from all writers, concerning their real 

 characters and affinities, than any other; indeed they have 



