PREFACE. m 



My friend John Reinhold Forftcr wrote 

 his dire&ions for colle&ing, preferving 

 and tranfporting all kinds of natural hif- 

 tory curiofities, in 1771. This perform- 

 ance, though a work of merit, is too 

 concife for the purpofe defigned ; and the 

 author's method of preferving birds is not 

 juftified by experiment, as it will neither 

 fecure fuch fubjefts from infefts, nor ad- 

 mit of their receiving a natural pofition. 



Other writers have alfo appeared in 

 different departments of Natural Hiftory, 

 the principal of which will be noticed un- 

 der the particular heads they treat upon. 



If perfons who go abroad, or refide in 

 foreign countries, were acquainted with 

 mathematics and drawing, they would 

 in all probability make their remarks more 

 acceptable, by adding accurate maps of 

 the countries they vifit or refide in ; and 

 by joining to them the drawings of men, 

 their dreffes, utenfils, weapons, coins, 

 machines, rites, facrifices, buildings, tem- 

 ples, idols, and antiquities ; as well as the 

 curious quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fifli, 

 infefts, and (hells peculiar to each place - y 

 with the plants found in thofe climates, 

 efpecially fuch as are employed for food, 

 in commerce, manufactures, phyfic, dye- 

 ing and other purpofes. 



In the drawings and defcriptions re- 

 lative to natural hiftory, it is neceffary 



to 



