11 
PREFACE. 
through the courfe of this work, to men- 
tion the names of my patrons, benefactors, 
and friends, as authentic proofs of the 
veracity of the fubjedts contained in this 
work, I think it needlefs to repeat them 
here. 
It often happens, that my figures on the 
copper-plates greatly differ from my ori- 
ginal drawings, for fometimes the originals 
have not altogether pleafed me as to their 
attitudes or adtions : in fuch cafes I have 
made three or four, fometimes fix fketches 
or out-lines, and have deliberately con- 
fidered them all, and then fixed upon that, 
which I judged moff free and natural, to 
be engraven on my plate. It is not rea- 
fonable to exped that a work of this nature 
fhould be highly laboured and finiflied in 
the colouring part, becaufe it would greatly 
raife the price of it, as colouring work 
in London, when highly finifhed, comes 
very dear. The moff material part is 
keeping as ffridtly as can be to the variety 
of colours found in the natural fubjedts, 
which has been my principal care ; and 
now, on revifmg all that have been co- 
loured, I think them much nearer nature 
than moff works of the kind that have 
been published. I have often been folicited 
to draw and publifh fome of our common 
Engliih Birds but having fuch frequent 
opportunities to meet with new and very 
rare Birds, known to few even of the 
curious in England, I have from time to 
time faithfully regiffered them through 
the courfe of my whole work, for the 
information both of the prefent and future 
generations. As to thofe who defire to 
lee figures of the Birds of our own country, 
l believe their curkdity will very fhortly 
be fatisfied ; for there is now in hand, by 
a Society of Antient Britons, for the benefit 
of a Welch Charity-School in London, 
A Natural Hiffory of Britifh Animals ; 
and they have begun it with Birds. All 
fujets qui y font decrits , je ne cron pas 
quil foit necefjaire de les repeter ici . 
II eft fouvent arrive \ que mes figures fur 
les planches font difterentes de mes defteins 
originaux car je nai pas toujours ete con- 
tent de ces deftems d regard des attitudes 
ou les fujets etoient places ; et alors j’ai tires 
trois ou quatre , ou memc quelqucfois fix 
efquiftes ou contours, et apres les avoir tous 
murement confidents, je me fuis enfin arrettt 
d la figure qui ma parue avoir le moins de 
contrainte , et appr ocher le plus de l* air et 
des attitudes de la naturae, pour la faire 
graver fur ma planche, Ce feroit d tort 
que Ion sattendroit dans un ouvrage comme 
celui-ci d trouver la perfection du colon's 
le plus exquis , parce que cela feroit rencherir 
le prix trop conjiderablanent, comme cette 
forte de travail fe paye bien cher d Londres . 
Ce quil y a de plus ejfentiel dans un ouvrage 
comme celui-ci, eft de conferver et d’imiter, 
autant que cela fe pent faire, la variete des 
couleurs que Ion trouve dans les fujets 
originaux, et c eft de quoi j’ai fait mon 
foin principal ; et en examinant toutes mes 
figures color ees, ft of e dire que je penfe que 
les couleurs approchent d’avantage des cou - 
kurs naturelles que dans la plupart des 
ouvrages de cette efpece qui ont tie publies 
jitjques id . J’ai ete J'ouvent follicite de 
faire des defteins, et de les donner au public, 
des Oifeaux Anglois communs : man comme 
en tant d’occaftons j’ai eu le bonheur d’ avoir 
entre les mams des Oifeaux nouv-eaux et 
rares , et qui ne font conn us que de fort peu 
meme des curieux en Angleterre, je les az 
donnes place dans le cours de mon ouvrage, 
a mej'ure quits me font parvenus, et j’en ai 
fait des deferiptions fiddles, pour ! informa- 
tion de notre Jiecle et de la pofteritL La 
curioftte de ceux qui auront envie de voir 
