PREFACE, 
To the Rev. W. S. Symonda, F.G.S., the Rev. T. Wiltshire, 
F.G.S., the Rev. Dr. Anderson, Dr. Phipson, Count Marschall, Dr. 
Bevan, Dr. G. D. Gibb, F.G.S. , Professor Harkness, M. Jules 
Marcou, Messrs. H. C. Salmon, F.G.S., H. C. Sorby, F.R.S., F.( , 
Edw. Wood, F.G.S., W. Pengelly, F.G.S., Geo. Tate, G. B. Roberts, 
H. Mitchell, and the too long list of contributors for insertion here) 
my grateful thanks are due. And to my numerous friendly querists 
I would only say how much pleasure it has given me to answer their 
many questions. 
Of my own labours past and intended I may speak without self- 
vanity. My desire is to advance the popularity of the science, and 
to extend its beneficial influences. My own articles on " Common 
Fossils," with the " Gems of Private Collections," will give me the 
opportunity of figuring all the British species of fossils ; and that 
the unavoidable inconvenience of having to follow a consecutive 
order may be less felt, it is my intention to give from time to time 
special papers on particular well-known fossiliferous localities, such 
as Folkestone, Bridlington, Scarborough, the Isle of Wight, &c., by 
which means those of our readers living on other rock-formations 
than those treated of in the regular order of our course, may derive 
some advantage from the figures of fossils and descriptions of the 
strata with which those projected papers will be illustrated. 
To Sir Roderick Murchison, Professor Huxley, Professor Ramsay, 
Messrs. Salter and Etheridge, Mr. Long the Librarian, and to other 
gentlemen of the Geological Survey ; as also to Professor Owen, Mr. 
Waterhouse, Mr. Woodward, Mr. Davis, and other gentlemen at the 
British Museum, I have to express my thanks for the facilities 
afforded me on all occasions when I have had occasion to visit the 
departments under their respective controls. 
Lastly, to my sincere and valued friend the Assistant- Secretary of 
the Geological Society, I have again to express my warmest thanks 
for many kindnesses, personal and editorial. 
S. J. M. 
London, December, 1859. 
