[ 3°S 3 
as complete as pofllble, there fliould be In all the 
Countries of the World Men zealous for their Im- 
provement, who fhould take Pkafure in tranfmit- 
ting the particular Productions of thofe Parts which 
they inhabit, to fiich Rcpofitories as they know to 
be already confiderable, and intended to be ren- 
dered ufeful to the Public. 
That Part of Natural Hiflory which can offer to 
us the largeft Series of agreeable ObjeCfs, and actu- 
ally offers a vaft Number which are not fought 
after merely for the Plcafure of looking upon them; 
viz. that Part which treats of Birds, has remained 
as yet very imperfect:, nor has it yet made them 
fufficiently known to us, becaufe no confiderable 
Collections have hitherto been made of them ; and 
thofe who had begun to make any foon became 
weary of going on, having had the Mortification 
to fee them every Day deftroyed by ravenous In- 
fefts, in fpite of all the Care that had been taken 
to preferve them againft their Teeth. M. Reaumur 
having found eafy Methods of preparing Birds 
which are intended for thofe Collections, fo as to 
put them out of Danger of being fpoiled, and to 
make them look as if alive, has thus found what 
was Bill mod defired, viz. the means of putting 
them out of Harm's Way from greedy InfeCts. He 
intends foon to inform the Public how to render 
with Succefs this fort of ;ColleCtions durable. He 
has had the Luck to make one, which is already 
very numerous, and has Room to hope that it will 
be Bill larger. The Birds, for which he is obliged 
to feveral learned Men, Lovers of Natural HiBory, 
are an Earned; to him that he fhall owe Thanks to 
them 
