PREFACE, 
2UV 
ejlablijh the Char alter of the thing defcribed, fo as plainly to diflinguifh it from all other 
things ; j this may be done without following the minute Steps of fome Authors, who have 
wrote large Books on fingle Birds or Plants, for long Defcriptions lead the Mind into Mazes 
and Confufion, and tire rather than inflruCi. On the other hand too brief Defcriptions 
Jhould be avoided ; for very often thefe are found to conjifi only of fuch general Forms and 
Colourings that are common to many things of the fame Genus, with the thing fo briefly de¬ 
ferred, which makes the Defcription uncertain, or rather no natural Defcription at all. 
If Naturalifis would obferve this medium, and fiudy a plain comprehenfive Language, and 
well exprefjing the things treated of, they might gradually, by ?naking the Study both ufeful 
and pleafant, bring many into the love of Natural Hifiory, who now defpife it. 
I know there are fome Gentlemen, that put the Perms of mean and little upon fuch 
Sciences or Studies that they themfelves have no Pafie for; and others would make them 
ufelefs by calling them mere Speculations. Natural Hifiory has been particularly afperfed 
and treated in this manner by the Enemies to all Knowledge, but fuch as brings with it 
immediate Profit or fenfual Pleafure: But if thefe Gentlemen will look back a little, 
they will find that Men as great, as wife and magnanimous, at leafi as themfelves, in 
all Ages, have bufied themfelves in the Difcoveries and Knowledge of Nature . King 
Solomon is a great Example in this matter, who was himfelf a natural Hifiorian, and 
perhaps had penetratedfarther into Nature than any one has done fince. Alexander 
the Great was remarkable for encouraging all the fine Arts, as well natural Hifiory as 
other Literature, without which his Memory could not have fubfified till this Pime+ But 
to come nearer our own Pimes, Lewis XIV. of France, tho one of the greatefi Princes 
of the Age he lived in, and engaged in fever al Wars for a confiderable Part of his Life, 
yet found Pime to improve his Mind by the Study of the fine Arts, and efiablifhed a?i 
Academy for the farther Improvement of Arts and new Difcoveries in Nature : He 
was fuch a Lover of the Productions of Nature, that he made Gardens and built magni¬ 
ficent Stoves, (Ac. for the raifing and reception of all Exotick Plants, and built at Ver- 
failles near his Palace, an elegant and curious Place called the Managery, with large 
Apartments and Conveniencies for the Reception of living Animals from all Parts of 
the World, and not only rare Pictures and Sculptures of the greatefi Mafiers were col¬ 
lected 
