XU 
PREFACE. 
state of this particular branch of the fine arts at the period of publication. This 
was, however, soon found to involve an enormous expense, and to be accompanied 
with a delay utterly incompatible with the early publication of the work. Most 
of the Mammalia, and a few of the Birds and Fishes, are thus executed; but we 
hope that in the lithographies furnished by Mr. G. Endicott, the naturalist will 
not regret a departure from the original plan. 
In one instance I have introduced the figure of a species not known with cer¬ 
tainty to exist in the United States, and for which an explanation may appear 
necessary. I allude to the Manati, or Sea Cow of South America. The exceed¬ 
ingly rare opportunity which I had of examining this animal in a living state, of 
having a faithful drawing made, and of being subsequently enabled to enter into 
some of the osteological details, was too valuable to be allowed to escape. It 
was thought that it would be interesting to the American naturalist, to be thus 
enabled to compare it with the Florida Manati, from which it has been strongly 
suspected to be specifically distinct. I was, moreover, desirous of giving an 
accurate illustration of one of the herbivorous cetacea, a group the least known 
of all the class Mammalia. 
I may possibly have attached more importance to the various popular names 
given in different districts, than will perhaps be acknowledged by the technical 
naturalist. It has been objected to their use, that they are often unmeaning or 
absurd, and often doubtful in their application. The careful collator of syno- 
nimes will, however, doubtless have discovered that the same charge may often be 
applied to names drawn up with technical nicety, and in conformity with the laws 
of nomenclature. As this work is intended for general readers, I have introduced 
popular names whenever they could be obtained. The greater part of our 
knowledge of the habits of animals is derived from persons unskilled in natural 
history; and the fact that the same popular name is variously employed in diffe¬ 
rent districts, will often enable us to avoid error. A familiar example of this is 
afforded by the history of the Wolverine. Under this name three different ani¬ 
mals, the Northern Lynx, the Wolverine proper and the Bay Lynx have been 
described, and their habits strangely confounded by writers who were not aware 
that the same popular name had been applied in different districts to them all. 
In consulting authorities, we have taken pains to cite all the American writers 
within our reach. The student is frequently at a loss where to find descriptions 
of such animals as may come under his notice; and these are distributed through 
