*P R E F A C E. 



"WT may be proper to inform the Purchafers of the Catalogue, and the Public in 

 general, That there is no one Article contained in it hut was a Part of 

 the Genuine Collection of the late Noble PoflefTor, Margaret CavendiJJ;, 

 Duchefs Dowager oi Portland. Nothing is foiftcd into it: from the Cabinets of 

 Others; but every Subjeft here recorded came- into her PaflelTion, either hy In- 

 heritance, the Affiftance of thofe who were' honored with her Friendfliip, or by 

 her own Purchafe and Induftry. And how diligent have been her Enquiries 

 into Natural Knowledge and the Polite Arts, as well as fuccefsful her En- 

 deavours to encreafe the Stores of them, the following Catalogue will, in a 

 great Meafure, demonftrate. In the Articles of plrtu it contains no inconfidcr- 

 able Part of her moft Valuable CoHe£lion ; but in Natural Hijhry every Sub- 

 ject is inferted fhe had with fo much Pains and Treafurc accumulated. And • 

 here it. will appear, that all the Three Kingdoms of Nature, the Animal^. 

 Vegetable^ znA Fojftl, were comprehended in her Refearches. In all of thefe flie 

 took infinite Pleafure and Delight J but in none of them is her Cabinet more 

 richly ftored than in that durable and beautiful Part of the /'/^/?, named C<7k- 

 cbology. In this Branch of Nature's Works, no Collei^ion in Europe can equal 

 that of her Grace's in Number and Variety, To give fome Idea of its great 

 Extent, it may be remarked, that the celebrated Linnaus, who had i!:udied the 

 Subjeft, and methodized the Materials of it, has not dcfcribed One Fourth Part 

 ©f the Objefts contained in the Mufeum now ofiered to the Public. It was 

 indeed in the Intention of the enlightened- PofielTor to have had every unknown 

 Species defcribed and publifhed to the World ; but it pleafed God to cut {hort 

 the Defign, not only by the Death of the ingenious Naturalift employed by hef 

 for that Purpofe * ; but, in a (hort Time afterwards, to the great and irreparable 

 Lofs of Science, by her own alfo. Had her Life been continued a few 

 Years longer, it is poflible that every SubjecPc in this Catalogue would have 

 been properly defcribed and charadterifcd ; but in the prefent Mazes of Science, 

 all that could be done by the Compiler was only to give in general the claffical 

 or popular Names to fucb Articles as were knov/n to have anv.. an ! to leuve 



* Dr. Solandtr. 



the 



