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dally Increafed In Friends and Patrons; which increafed my Profits. In December^ 
1733, I was received into the Service of the Royal College of Phyficians, Londm^ 
by the Favour and Recommendation of Sir H^ans Sloane^ Bart, then Prefident, ^wherc 
I have ever fince continued under the Favour and Protedtion of Dr. Pellet, Dr. 
Plumptre, and Dr. ^yfon, his SuccefTors in the Prefidentfliip of that Learned and 
Honourable Body. Thus am I, as it were, nailed down by the Benefices of my 
Mafiers and Friends, from making any farther Voyages. My domeftick Attendance 
in the Edifice appointed for the Afiemblies of the College of Phyficians (where I have 
a very convenient Apartment) gave me Opportunity (^then thinking myfelf fettled) 
to apply my Time more clofely to Natural Studies, and having the Charge of a va- 
luable Library, it gave me Opportunity to confult many fcarce Pieces of Natural 
Hifiory at my Leifure, which otherwifc I could not have procured : So that, from 
'Step to Step, I gained a little Knowledge in that particular Part of Natural Hifiory I 
have ventured to bring to Light. Tho' I have continued in London almoll: thefe 
25 Years, yet have I, by correfponding with Friends, fettled in, or trading to every 
'Quarter of the World (at the Expence of no fmall Part of my flender Fortune) pro- 
cured more Natural Curiofities than I could pofiibly have done by my own fingle 
-travelling 'into any particular Parts. I have now by me, I believe, more original 
Drawings of Birds from Nature, diredtly drawn by my own Hand, than any other 
Perfon in England has of-their own performing. What hath been done in other Parts 
of Europe I am a -Stranger to ; I have about 500 particular and diftind Species of 
Birds drawn in their natural Colours, and upwards of a hundred Drawings after 
‘Nature, in Colours, of other natural Subjeds, which, if they out- live me, it is like 
■will be fcattered and feparated, and may be come by at eafy Rates, as Things that 
have ferved their Turn. There is few of them but have fome hafiy incorred Words 
in my own Hand on their Bottoms, or wrong Sides, either to note their Names or 
Natures, from whence brought, or fome other Memorandums, by which Notes they 
will be known. They were done at Times, many Years diftant from each other, 
:and therefore are as different as Things drawn by various Hands. There are amongff 
them a few which are only Copies from other Drawings, which will be difeovered 
from Originals by what is writ on them. My explaining the Chart of my Voyages 
and Journies has canned me a greater Length than I thought to have gone, but I could 
not well fay lefs fully to explain them, and I fiiall avoid faying more, leaff it be deem- . 
^ed a Sort of Writing my own Life. I ihall add here one Note, which may be of Ufe 
to the curious Naturalifts hereafter, which is, that all thofe Prints in the fecond Part, 
'which have Manufeript Numbers at their Bottoms, were adually coloured /rom my 
Originals under my own* Infpedion, and all finifiied before thefe Sheets were fent 
to the Prefs ; fince which the Plates are number’d with a Graver, tho’ I hope to 
perform what are to follow with Accuracy equal to what are now finifiied : I can 
alfo affure the Publick of the authentick Colouring of all thofe of the firft Part that 
have hitherto been fold, which in all Probability will be hereafter found bound to- 
gether with thofe of the fecond Part that have Manufeript Numbers. 
I fhall now conclude with my humble Acknowledgments of the Favours fhewn 
me by many of the Nobility, Gentry, and others, who have been Encouragers of 
the firft Part of this Work 5 hoping this fecond Part will find the fame Grace and Fa-- 
%^our in their Sight. A C A T A- 
