INTRODUCTION. 
/ 
§. I. 
The first ten pages of the following Fragments will, probably, be thought the most interesting part of this 
Httle work. They exhibit a rude and imperfect sketch of the Natural History -Picture in the neighbourhood of Phi- 
ladelphia: a picture which, if it were drawn by an able hand, could not fail to prove interesting to the lovers of 
science, m every part of the world. Each of these pages is divided into five columns. The first respects the day 
of the month when the birds mentioned in the second column arrived, or were Jirst seen, in the vicinity of Philadel- 
phia. In the second column, I have given what may be called the scientific Latin name of each bird. In this part 
of my subject, I have always preferred the name of Linnaeus, when I could discover that the bird had been described 
by this great naturalist. But several of the birds, which are here mentioned, were not known to Linnaeus • at 
least, I do not find that they have a place in any of the editions of his immortal work, the 8i,stema Naturce I have 
therefore, been obliged to adopt other names, and, in a few instances, to impose them myself. I have often 
adopted the names of Professor Gmelin, the laborious, and often successful, editor of the new edition of the Systema 
Natures* When this is the case, I have afiixed to the scientific name, the letter G, thus (G.) I have in this co- 
lumn, sometimes made use of the scientific names of my ingenious and good friend, Mr. William Bartram, a 
gentleman who has contributed much to our knowledge of the natural productions of North-America To the 
^tmes which I myself have imposed, I have affixed the word (mihi). But I by no means pretend to assert, that all 
the birds thus marked are new, or have not been described by naturalists. 
§.II. 
In the third column, I have given the English scientific and the English provincial names. The former are chiefly 
;aken from the Arctic Zoology^ of my excellent friend Mr. Pennant, because this is a work of such extensive merit 
hat I presume it is in the hands of almost every naturalist j and because the names imposed by this gentleman are' 
vith a very few exceptions, just and significant. By the English provincial names, I mean the names by which these 
)irds are best known in Pennsylvania, and in various other parts of the United-States. These provincial names are 
-Iways enclosed within a parenthesis, as in the instances (Pewe), (Turtle-Do ve), &c. They are designated in the 
ame manner in the Ust of Resident Birds, &c. in Section III. The greater number of these names are used in 
Pennsylvania. 
§. in. 
The fourth column relates to the "Progress of Vegetation." The greater number of the vegetables which I have 
ere enumerated are natives of Pennsylvania. Some, which are not natives of this state, are natives of other parts 
t the United-States; whilst others have not, hitherto, been found to grow spontaneously in any part of America 
a general, the plants are designated by their Linn^an names. In a few instances, I have adopted the names of the 
tte Mr. Alton, m his Hortus Kewensis ; those of Marshall, and other botanists. All the plants which I have men- 
oned are found, either wild, or growing in gardens, in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, where the remarks on 
le tune of their flowering and leafing have been made. 
§. IV. 
The fifth and last column contains "Miscellaneous Observations." In this part of my Sketches, I have done 
hi r^^-ii v'' ^''''^ prevented me from thromng into this column, many interesting facts, some of 
will be presented, perhaps to greater advantage, to the public, in my future publications. The few Ther- 
* Printed at Leipsic, in 1788. t The second edition. London : 1792. 
