XI 
PREFACE. 
known^ or might have been eafily difcovered in our own Country. % 
produce an Injlance of this., let any one knowing in Birds turn over 
Cornelius le BruynV Travels into Mufcovy, Perfia, ^c. there he will 
find defcribed the Spoon-bill, call'd in the Ruffian Language Calpetle 
Foi l.. P 91. of the Engliffi Tranfiation. Toe Bald Coot, caWdin thl 
Perlian, Paes-jelek, Fol. i. P. 182. The Pelican, call'd by Ruffians 
Babbe or Water-Carrier, Fol. 2. P. 167. Now thefe Birds being all 
very well defcribed by natural Hifiorians, they need no farther Defcrip- 
ttons ; but he did not mean to give us things before defcribed, but, through 
Ignorance in that particular Part of natural Hifiory, fuppofed thefe 
Birds altogether unknontony Jince he has not given them their common 
European Names ; it is furprizing he jhould not know the Spoon-bill, 
becaufe thofe who have defcribed it make it a Native of Holland, and 
tell the Place where it builds and breeds. It is fill more firange he 
Jhould go to Ifpahan to figure and defcribe the Bald Coot, which abounds 
in every Canal and Dike round about the Hague the Place of his Birth: 
It Jhews a fond Inclination to difcover the Rarities of foreion Countries, 
before a Perfon has attained the Knowledge of what is to be known in 
his native Country : which is to begin where one jhould end-, fo that all 
People who go abroad on any Difcover ies jhould be qualified as above- 
mentioned, but more^ particularly all jhould inform themfelves, as far as 
may be, at home, tn thofe things they exprejly go to make farther Dif- 
c^eries of. For want of fuch ^alifications, and through difhoneft 
Principles^ Vice and Indolence^ many who have been fent abroad at the- 
Expence of others^ ^ have tn no fort anfwered the ExpeEiations of thofe 
who fent thetn, which hath dfcouraged Gentlemen of Curiofity and For- 
tutte ft^otn advancing Money on fuch fruitlefs Expeditions. 
Neverthelefs fome Men thus fent.^ have with great labour and honejty 
anfwer d the ExpeEiations of their Patrons. It would be very proper 
for all Eravellers into foreign Parts, to take ttotice of what Birds and 
Beafs they find, and at what Seafons of the Year they find them, a7id at 
what Ttmes they difappear, and when they appear again ; that fo we may 
in time give a tolerable account of the Places to which Birds and Beafis 
of Pajfage go that are found with us, and in other Countries only at 
certain Seafons of the Year, Many may think perhaps that there are 
no 
