XVi 
PREFACE; 
where they are to be found, the plants 
they feed upon, their transformations, cited 
the authors who have treated on them, given 
them claffical, generical, and trivial or fpe- 
cifical names j has done the fame by birds, 
fifhes, and all other known animals ; has 
ranged all the foffils, minerals and ftones, 
to ufe his language, in a manner partly bor- 
rowed, and partly founded on his own ob- 
fervations. But what improvements and 
additions he has lately made to this part of 
natural hiftory, as well as that of plants, we 
cannot fay till the other part of his new edi- 
tion of the Syftem of nature comes out, 
which is expe&ed daily. However what 
we fee he has done in relation to animals, 
leaves us no room to doubt but that it will 
all together be the moll extraordinary book 
that was ever publifhed in this or almoft 
any other way. 
Befides his writings, of which i have 
mentioned but a fmall part, this inde- 
fatigable man, born to be nature 5 hiftorian, 
has travelled over Lapland, all Sweden* 
part of Norway, Denmark, Germany, 
i Holland, 
