PREFACE. XIX 



not think our time misapplied, in offering 

 to the pubhc, the Natural History of 

 the Quadrupeds and Birds of Great 

 Britain. This compilation had its pe- 

 culiar difficulties ; but the labor of tra- 

 velling through a dry arrangement of the 

 subject, was very frequently alleviated by 

 the beautiful specimens we met with in 

 our progress : besides, we own with plea- 

 sure that we have been greatly aided by 

 the lovers of natural history, who since 

 the appearance of the first edition have 

 contributed to enrich the present with 

 several valuable observations : by collect- 

 ing and digesting these materials, we have 

 not only rendered the work more com- 

 plete, but are also encouraged to trace the 

 British Zoology through some of the re- 

 maining classes. 



Let therefore every merit that may ap- 

 pear in the present edition, and exerj 

 error that may have been suppressed from 

 the former, be attributed to the kind in- 

 formations we have received from our 

 learned and ingenious friends ; among 



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