[ 4 ] 



alterations, perhaps immaterial in themfelves, but which the increafed 

 ftate of our knowledge on the fubjeeT: feemed to render neceffary: It 

 is enlarged by inferting, in their proper places, fuch genera and fpe- 

 cies as have been lately difcovered : It is enriched by the addition of 

 many accurate defcriptions of new objects, which have been obfer- 

 ved by later naturalifts either for the rirfl: time, or with greater ac- 

 curacy than formerly : It is augmented with additional fynonimes 

 from the works of feveral authors, which had either not occurred 

 to the illnftrious Linnaeus, or which have been publifhed fince his 

 time : And, finally, the whole is corrected by means of the lateft 

 communications from refpectable obfervers. 



In the profecution of this arduous undertaking, I have felected and 

 arranged, with great attention, all that appeared fubfervient to my 

 views of improvement, from the great collection of books with 

 which the royal munificence of our.prefent Sovereign, the King of 

 Britain and Ele&or of Hanover, has enriched the Library of the 

 Univerfity of Goetingen; and I have been greatly aflifted in this 

 labour by the gentlemen who have the^ direction of that eftablilh- 

 ment. 



If I have any merit in the execution of this work, it is chiefly to 

 be attributed to the affiltance I have derived from the works of 

 Schreber, Pennant, and particularly Erxleben, with regard to the 

 clafs of Mammalia; to Latham, in the clafs of Birds; ro Fabricius 

 and Goetz, in the Infe&s; to Schroeter, in Shells; and to Muller, 

 for the other Worms : For additions, alterations, and improvements 

 in the Vegetable Kingdom I am greatly indebted to the younger 

 Linnaeus, and in a very eminent degree to Murray my illuftrious 

 coadjutor in this work: In the Mineral Kingdom, I have largely pro- 

 fited by the labours of Cronftedt, by thofe of his commentator Vel- 

 theim, and by the works of Gerhard, Kirwan, and Bergman. 



The 



