VI PREFATORY REMARKS. 



To those above enumerated must be added a number of casts of Mastodon and Elephant 

 heads from the Himalaya Mountains, given to me by the Trustees of the British Museum; and 

 casts of various heads and teeth of both presented to the Boston Society of Natural History by 

 the Court of Directors of the British East India Company, on the application of his Excellency, 

 Abbott Lawrence, Ambassador from the United States to the Court of Great Britain. 



Circumstances having compelled me to visit Europe, I obtained the great advantage of 

 seeing the collections in the British Museum, Royal College of Surgeons, that of the East 

 India Company and of (Economical Geology, the private collection of Dr. Mantell, the Great 

 National Museum at Paris, the Museum at Hesse Darmstadt (from which, through the kindness 

 of Professor Kaup, I obtained casts of the principal part of the Eppelsheim fossils), and the 

 beautiful collection at York, made by the labors of Professor Phillips, Mr. Charleswoeth, 

 and others. 



In our own country, the Smithsonian Institution at "Washington, under the management of 

 Professor Henry, has given a new impulse to science by the introduction of foreign scientific 

 works, to which free access has been granted me. 



To these advantages I may add the benefit derived from personal conversation with many 

 scientific men in Europe, particularly Professor Owen, Professor Kaup, Monsieur Laurillard, 

 and Dr. Carpenter. In this country I am indebted to Professor Agassiz for the loan of the 

 engravings of Professor Kaup, till I could obtain them from Europe, and for many valuable 

 suggestions occasionally received. To Professor Wyman I am under obligations for numerous 

 friendly and scientific attentions ; also to Professor Silliman, of New Haven ; Dr. Hays, of 

 Philadelphia ; Professor H. D. Rogers, of Boston ; Professor Gray, of Cambridge ; Dr. Gibbes, 

 of South Carolina ; and others. 



Of these privileges I am conscious that I ought to have made a better use. My apology for 

 not doing so, and for the many errors which may no doubt be discovered in these pages, must 

 be found in the engrossing duties of a profession which has occupied my life. 



