JOG 
MEMOIR OF 
to abridge their bulky volumes, such epitomes 
having been already made by Johnston. But 
our main design was to illustrate the history of 
birds, which is, (as we said before of animals in 
general) in many particulars, confused and obscure ; 
by so accurately describing each kind, and observ- 
ing tlieir characteristic and distinctive notes, that 
the reader might be sure of our meaning, and 
upon comparing any bird with our description, 
not fail of discerning whether it be the bird des- 
cribed or no. Nor will it be difficult to find out 
any unknown bird that shall be offered ; for com- 
paring it with the tables first, the characteristic 
notes of the genuses, from the highest or first 
downwards, will easily guide him to the lowest 
genus; among the species whereof, being not 
main’, by comparing it also with the several des- 
criptions, the bird may soon be found. This, 
then, being our design, that we might surely 
effect it, we did not, as some before us have 
done, not only transcribe other men’s descrip- 
tions, but we did ourselves carefully describe 
each bird from the view and inspection of it 
lying before us. Having acquainted the reader 
with our principal aim in this work, which was to 
give certain characteristic notes of the several 
kinds, accurately to describe each species, and 
to reduce all to their proper genera or classes, we 
omitted every thing not properly relating to 
Natural History.* Neither have we scraped 
* “ As hieroglyphics, emblems, morals, fables, presages, 
or ought also pertaining to Divinity, — as ethics, grammar, 
or any sort of humane learning,” — R ay. 
