4 INTRODUCTION. 
Having neither leisure nor ability to do justice to the different 
departments of such a work, without assistance, I have gladly availed 
myself of the aid of several kind friends and able naturalists,—the 
First Part, relating to the Quaprupeps, being the only one for which 
I am solely accountable. William Swainson, Esq., the able illustrator 
of the Ornithology of the Brasils, undertook to arrange and make 
drawings of the Birps, elucidate the Synonyms, furnish Remarks on 
the natural groups, and, in fact, to charge himself with the principal 
part of the Ornithology. The Reverend Mr. Kirby agreed to arrange 
and describe the Insects; and Dr. Hooker, Professor of Botany at 
Glasgow, relieved me entirely from the charge of describing the 
Puiants. The number of specimens of these requiring that Dr. 
Hooker’s part should extend to about two volumes of letter-press, 
‘it has been judged better to publish the Zoology and Botany in 
separate works,—the latter edited solely by Dr. Hooker, and as 
similar to the former in paper and type as possible*. The following 
introductory remarks are, therefore, drawn up principally with a view 
to the Zoological specimens. 
First, with regard to the geographical limits of the country, whose 
ferine inhabitants are to be described. 
The Expedition landed at New York, proceeded up the Hudson to 
Albany; from thence westward by the ridge-road to Niagara; then, 
after a short visit to the stupendous falls on that river, it crossed Lake 
Ontario to York, the capital of Upper Canada; and, passing by Lake 
Simcoe and the river Nattawasaga, it arrived at Penetanguishene, 
on the north-east arm of Lake Huron, in the beginning of April. Up 
to this place, owing to the early period of the year, and the mode of * 
travelling, which was, for the greater part of our route, in carriages at 
a rapid rate, our collections were small, consisting, in Zoology, only 
of a few insects and serpents, and in Botany, principally of lichens 
_ * Dr. Hooker is far advanced with his work, which will come out in parts; and Mr, 
Drummond has already, under his inspection, published two volumes of dried American 
mosses, containing two hundred and eighty-six species, collected by the Expedition. 
