11 



PREFACE. 



meant to be pointed out to the reader by the mark +- added be*- 

 fore the trivial names in the margin. 



In regard to Plates, fo neceflary an appendage to a work of 

 this nature, it might perhaps have been wiflied that they had 

 been executed in a more mafterly ftile; but I have been led to 

 think, that where a juft reprefentation is only meant, the excellence 

 of the artift is lefs neceflary, and a correct outline the greater!: 

 recommendation : on this confideration I have been induced to 

 make the attempt, by etching the plates myfelf, from drawings- 

 of my own, for the moft part taken from the fubjects themfelves. 

 How I have fucceeded in this matter, I will leave to the Public 

 to determine ; all I dare fay on this head is, that they are pretty 

 accurate reprefentations, and perhaps will not be thought an 

 unacceptable addition to the text, efpecially as many of them are 

 of fubjects not to be found in any other work, being figures of 

 fuch as were difcovered by our navigators to the South Seas, and 

 thofe who have lately made refearches towards the North Pole. 



I have, for the moft part, included the Birrls which have lately 

 come under infpeclion in one or other of the Genera of former 

 authors ; but fome few have notwithstanding arifen, which could 

 not be reconciled to any Genus yet formed, viz. the Wattle^ 

 Bird*, Tinamou f, and Sheathbill $. It muft likewife be 

 here owned, that here and there a Bird will be met with inter- 

 fperfed in thefe fheets, in refpecl to the placing of which much 

 difficulty has occurred j but, having one or more ftrong leading 



* Vol. I. p. 364. f Vol. II. p. 724. J Vol. III. p. z63. 



1 characters, 



