XVI 
PREFACE. 
with their Permifion, for my own Collection i and having jlored up fome hundreds, I 
Jhewed them from time to time -to curious Gentlemen who favour'd me with their Vi/its, 
and in looking them over, feveral of them have told me, that there were many amongjl 
them that had not been figured or defcribed by any Author, and that it would be worth 
my while to publifh them but I was backward in refolving to do it, becaufe I knew not 
fo much of many of the Birds, as to know from what Country they came, which is very 
material in Natural Hifiory. They anfwerd, that as I had taken the Draughts from 
Nature, and that it could be well attefied, and the like Birds ?night perhaps never be 
met with again, it was better to preferve the Figures without knowing their Countries 
■than not at all. I have not had the Advantage of being in the Countries out ©/'Europe 
where any of the Birds I have defcribed are found, as fome prefent Writers of Natural 
Hifiory have; but I have taken all the Pains in my Power to make my Defcriptions as 
perfeCl as the nature of the thing will admit of. I have been particularly careful never 
to fpeak in the Affirmative, but where I wasfully fatisfied I was in the rights The far 
greater part of thefe Defcriptions are from Birds never before defcribed: There are in¬ 
deedfome few which have been defcribed, but not figured, and fome that have been very 
ill figured and deficribed before ; but I have not drawn or defcribed any thing that was 
done before in any tolerable Degree of Perfection; fo that thefe Draughts and Defcrip- 
tions may be looked on as new. I have not tranfcribed the Defcriptions out of other 
Authors without acknowledging from whence I had them, as a late Publijher of a great 
Number of coloured Birds has done , but always chofe to have old Defcriptions fart heft 
from my Mind, when I defcribed any thing, becaufe I thought Nature herfelf the befi 
Director. I have indeed, as I ought, confulted Men and Books, in order to gain all the 
Light I could to direCt me in thefe Defcriptions, and to make them as clear and intelligible 
as might be. 
I was difcouraged, upon firfi thinking of this Work, at the great Expence of graving* 
printing, and other things , which I knew would be a certain Cofi attended with a very 
uncertain Profit , till my good Friend Mr. Catefby put me on etching my Plates myfelfi as 
he had done in his Wirks; and not only fo, but invited me to fee him work at Etching, 
and gave me all the neccffary Hints and InfiruCtions to proceed, which Favour I think 
my- 
