PREFACE. 



It would be but an idle employment of time 

 to expatiate on the pleasures of the study of 

 nature, since they must be obvious to all. To 

 view her boundless diversity of forms and 

 gradations ; to become acquainted, in fact, with 

 creation is to be enamoured of her charms. 

 Her productions are every where to be found, 

 and every where inviting attention ; they are 

 so many and so various, the laws by which 

 she governs them so extensive and beautiful, 

 that none of her followers ever yet complained 

 of satiety or disgust ; on the contrary, to in- 

 vestigate her works gives health to the body, 

 vigour to the mind, and yields an inexhaustable 

 fund of amusement and delight. As it neither 

 requires confinement, sedentary habits nor ex- 

 pensive instruments to study it with success, it 

 may be pursued by the poor as well as the rich. 



But as the productions of nature are so 

 very extensive and diversified, it has been 

 found necessary, for the conveniency of study, 

 to divide and arrange them into small depart- 

 ments. The advantages of this must be ob- 



