PREFACE. 
in 
the frnall and middling fizes are drawn as 
large as life, and printed on folio imperial 
paper, and coloured from nature. I have 
feen many of the plates, and think them 
as good as any thing of the kind yet pub- 
lifhed either in England or in foreign 
parts. I have the pleafure to know Thomas 
Pennant, Efq; a Gentleman of Flintffiire, 
of a large fortune and great perfonal merit, 
who has affifted this Society by procuring 
all the uncommon Birds in North- Wales, 
in order to forward the above charitable 
foundation. And as I am well allured 
that Mr. Pennant has a good tafle in draw- 
ing, and is well verfed in Natural Hiltory, 
and has a ftrong inclination to promote it, 
he will generoufly give the above Society 
all the affiftance in his power ; and I be- 
lieve the curious Naturalifts will find both 
information and pleafure in the work, 
when compleated. Mr. Pennant reminds 
me of an obligation I lately received from 
him, viz. the Puffin of the Ifie of Man, 
and feme other Birds I had not feen before. 
I have lately gathered fome information 
relating to Birds of the Peteril kind, (of 
which genus the Manks Puffin is) which 
is, that all, or moft of them, call an oil 
from their throats in the faces of the fowlers 
who attempt to take them. I find in our 
public news -papers of June 1761, an 
accotmt, from Mul in Scotland, of a me- 
lancholy accident, laid to have happened 
to one Mr. Campbell, who going a fowling 
amongfi: the rocks on the fea-coaft, on 
mounting a ladder to take fome of this 
o 
fpecies of Birds from the holes in the 
rocks, and putting his hand into a hole, 
was fuddenly furprized by the Birds calling 
a large quantity of oil in his face, which 
caufed him to quit his hold on the ladder, 
fo that he fell on the rocks below him, 
and loft his life. Mr. Charles Smith, in 
his Antient and Prefent State of the County 
of Kerry in Ireland, fays, there is a fmall 
des figures des Oifeaux de notre pais fera 
fatisfaite, d ce que je crois, dans peu ; car 
dejd une S octet ; de G allots travailk , pour 
i 'avant age d'ltne Ecole Gallois , a fair e une 
Hifoire Naturelle des Animaux Britan - 
niques ; et la premiere par tie de cet ouvrage 
traitera des Oifeaux , dont tous ceux qui 
font pet its , ou dune mediocre groffeur > feront 
tires avec leurs dimenjions naturdles jur du 
papier imperial du jormat d'un in folio , et 
color is d'apres la nature . J'ai vu plu - 
jieurs des planches , et je ne les crois pas 
inferieures d aucunes ‘publications en ce 
genre qui aient etc faites jufqu a prefent . 
J’ai le bonheur de connoitre Mr . Thomas 
Pennant , an Gentilhomme de 1 a. province 
de Flint dans la principaute des Galles , qui 
pojfede des grands biens , et qui a beaucoup 
de merite p erf one l, et qui a afifiee cette 
Societe en leur procurant tous les Oifeaux 
peu communs des Galles Septentrionaux. Et 
comme je J'uis bien of ure que Mr. Pennant 
define avec gout , et a une bonne con - 
noiffance de /’ Hifoire Naturelle , et un grand 
dejir d’en favor ifer les pr ogres, je ne doute 
pas quil ne voudroit genereufement afifkr 
cette Societe autant quil ef en fon pouvoir 
de le faire ; et je crois que les Naturalises 
tr Oliver ont de V injlruBion aufi bien que du 
plaifir dans cet ouvrage, lorfqii il j'era acheve. 
Je ne puis parler de Mr. Pennant , fans 
me ref 'ouvenir de V obligation que je lui ai de 
m avoir envoy e le Puffin de l' Ifie de Man , 
et quelques autres Oifeaux que je n avois' point 
vus auparavant . Le Pufiin ef du genre 
des Peter Us, des quels f at appris depms peu 
une circonfance remar quable, qui ef, que 
tous , ou la plupart de cette ejpece d Oifeaux, 
jettent du gojier une huile au vifage des 
oifeleurs qui tachent a les prendre . J ai 
vue dans nos Gazettes au mois de Juin 1761, 
la relation d'un malheur, \quon dit etre 
arrive a un Mr. Campbell, qui allant d 
la chafe des Oifeaux par mi les roc hers fur 
la cote de la n.er, comme il montoit jur 
