( I lO ) 
former Hlflorles on the fame Subjefts with what I have here prefented to the Publick) 
will think I had good Reafon for making fome Amendments: The far greatefl 
Part of thefe Figures are from Subjeds entirely new, their Deferiptions therefore muff 
confequently be new, as are the Deferiptions of thofe treated of before by others; yet 
that there might be nothing wanting to perfed this Work, I have fometimes, where 
I thought it neceflary, joined to my own Deferiptions the Obfervations of Authors, 
as well Foreigners as my own Countrymen. I have not done this, to the beft of my 
Knowledge, without partieularly mentioning the Author’s Name, or the Book from 
whenee it was borrowed; and where I have quoted but a fingle Line, I have dif- 
tinguiflaed it by the ufual Marks. I have been as perfed in this Work as the Nature 
of the Thing will admit of, in order to fit it to be added to a new general Orni¬ 
thology (which, 1 think, is wanting) in Cafe any one, fit for the Talk, flaould un¬ 
dertake it. It may not be here improper to give my Thoughts on that Subjedj the 
Study of which has lain dormant for many Years : I know no Knglifld Author who 
has wrote any Thing confiderable fince Mr. Kay revifed Willoughby's manufeript HiL 
tory of Birds, which was publifhed Anno 1678; till of later. Years, Mr. Ray hath 
added fome few, which fee in his Sy 7 iopfts Method. Avium, See. where he has men¬ 
tioned the Authors from whom he colleded them. The Memoirs of the Academy 
Royal of Paris, on fuch Occafion, ought alfo to be confulted, where fomething new 
may be colleded. Mr. Cateshy, in his Hiftory of Carolina, &c. hath figured and de- 
feribed upwards of a hundred rare Birds, the greateft Part of which would come into 
a new Hiftory, they being mofily non-deferipts. Albin hath publifired a great many, 
I think upwards of 300 Figures; but they being chiefly colleded from Willoughby, a 
Compiler muft look cautioufly on him; what new Birds he has worthy of any No¬ 
tice are from Mr. Dandridge's Collodion, the Originals of which I have feen, and 
could wifh Albin's Copies after them had been better; for what is well done after 
Nature itfelf will be always valuable. Albin has given fome Draughts of Birds, which, 
he' fays, were from Sir Phomas Lovother's Collodion, but I am very doubtful as to 
them, they being taken from Drawings done by fome very mean Performer, which 
Alhm has not thought proper to confefs. By Accident I happened to meet with 
fome of thefe Drawings, which has confirmed me in the Truth of what 1 fay. 
The Natural Hiftories we have had in E 77 gland, till of late Years, are moftly Tranfla- 
tiens from other Languages, which has rendered the Underftanding of them fome- 
what difficult j for I believe it altogether impradicable to make a Tranflation run fo 
fmooth and intelligible as the Original from which one tranflates, without loofing a 
good Deal of the true Senfe and Meaning of its Author : This we daily difeover in 
Tranflators, who are forced, in fome particular Parts, to give the Words of the firfl; 
Author in the Margin, becaufe they cannot be intelligibly rendered in the Language 
of the Tranflator j fo that being in its original Language is always an Advantage to 
a Book, becaufe Tranflations mud neceflarily, at leafi: in fome fmall Degree, give 
the Readers of them different Ideas from the Originals: This Book hath the Advan¬ 
tage to be Original in its Figures, as well as its Deferiptions; not one of the former 
being copied from others, or the latter either tranflated or tranferibed* 
Wg 
