PRELIMINARY SKETCH 



THE RISE AND PROGRESS 



ZOOLOGY. 



That the arrangement of Cuvier, and the mo- 

 dern improvements in Zoology, may be better 

 understood and appreciated, it is proposed to 

 introduce them by a preliminary sketch of the 

 early state and progress of this science, with a 

 very few observations on its importance, uti- 

 lity, and relations, and a brief view of the seve- 

 ral systems. 



A strict definition of the term Natural His- 

 tory, will be found hereafter, and is, therefore, 

 needless in this place. Zoology is, beyond all 

 doubt, the most extensive, important, and sub- 

 lime branch of Natural History. It is not con- 

 fined in its details to a mere dry description of 

 the external forms of animals. It embraces 

 all the phenomena of life and animal motion ; 



Vol. I. d 



