PKEFACE. 
The importance. of Natural History, and that of Zoology in particular, being fully appreciated by all liberal 
minds, no apology is necessary on our part for presenting to the public a New Edition of the “ Regne Ani- 
mal ; ” witli additions and alterations, corresponding to the more advanced state of the Science, since the 
publication of that celebrated Work. Indeed, the absence of any accurate or complete Sfectes Animalium, 
or vSystematic Catalogue of Animals, either in our own or any other language, will, it is hoped, render 
the present undertaking of the highest interest to the Scientific Zoologist. 
Tlie outline whicli the Baron Cuvier so ably sketched, as explanatory of his views of arrangement, 
he chiefly exemplified by noticing such animals as were best known to him, while the more rare, though not 
less interesting, species were merely alluded to by referring to the most expensive works on the subject. It 
will, accordingly, be our care to fill up his outline witli descriptions of all the species whicli have ever been 
noticed in any work of authority, and these will either' be chawn directly from the living animals, or by direct 
reference to the original works in our possession, wlierein they were first described. Those valuable acqui- 
sitions which have been made to the science by the discoveries of Audubon, Belanger, Diard andDuvAu- 
CEL, D’Orbigny, Eiirenberg, Harlan, Horsfield, Lesson and Garnot, Le Vaillant, Lichtenstein, 
The Prince Maximilian of Wied Neuwied, The Prince of Musignano, Quoy and Gaimard, Richardson, 
IlijppEL, Spin, Smith, Vieillot, Alexander Wilson, &c. &c., together with the accurate materials sup- 
plied by the able Monographs of Audouin, Brongniabt, Frederic Cuvier, De Blainville, Mtlne- 
Fdwards, E. and I. Geoffroy-St-Hilaire, The Baron Von Humboldt, Gould, Gray, Lamarck, 
Tatreille, Savigny, Swainson, Temminck, Valenciennes, Vigors, and others, will find their proper 
places in the system ; Avhile such new species as may be discovered during the progress of this publication 
will be described in supplementary sheets, paged so as to indicate their natural position. Throughout the 
^ork the utmost care vnU be taken to clear the system of all those doubtful and imaginary species, with 
^hich the inexperience of compilers has hitherto crowded our systematic catalogues. The introductory 
portion, containing the generalities of the Animal Kingdom, will be enlarged by a selection of the most 
Approved physiological views, chiefly from the other writings of the Baron Cuvier, as well as those of the 
^ost distinguished British and Continental Writers. 
But “ a well-executed design,” to use the words of M. Temminck, “ is always more valuable than the 
^"‘ost minute description, especially in those classes of animals where the species are very numerous, and the 
^'haracters of which are so difficult to define by words and it is accordingly our intention to illustrate this 
^''ork in a manner worthy of the merits of its illustrious author. The original designs, which are widely 
Scattered throughout numerous foreign works in all civilized languages, have been collected together at con- 
siderable expense, and most of these will be here introduced, with ajipropriate English names, for the first 
^ime, to the British Student, with scrupulous accuracy and at a moderate price, tlie whole arranged in generic 
§*’oups, and with appropriate backgrounds. Original Drawings, made by our own Artists, after such unde- 
^cribed living animals as we are able to meet with, will likewise appear. 
