IV 
PREFACE. 
Besides the serious and reflecting turn of thought, which these studies produce in the 
youthful mind, the child, by such a course, is constantly laying up knowledge, which as he 
grows older, will tend to expand his intellect, and which will always be of more or less use to 
him in after life. 
The introduction of Books on Natural subjects into Sabbath School Libraries, and families, 
in the room of fictitious stories, appears therefore to be a matter of great importance; and it was 
under this impression that this and the volume on Birds, were written and are now offered to 
the public. 
The author, whenever a suitable opportunity has been presented, has taken care to impress 
on the mind of the child, that brutes, though they cannot speak and reason are not therefore 
mere machines, but that they are subjects of pain, of pleasure, and of attachments like ourselves. 
This, it is believed, is one of the methods by which kindness and humanity towards animals, are 
best inculcated on the minds of children. 
There is scarcely any vice, which tends more to harden the hearts, and debase the minds 
of youth, than habitual cruelty towards animals. This vice is also, to the eye of humanity, of 
the most hateful and disgusting kind; as it shows a destitution of those feelings which we most 
highly esteem among our fellow men. Particular care has therefore been taken, to convince the 
child, that the animals which are formed for our use, are still the property of God; and that He, 
“ who provideth for the Raven his food,” will behold with displeasure, and bring to punishment, 
all such persons as treat them with cruelty. 
In the selection of anecdotes, by means of which, it is thought, the characters of animals 
are best illustrated, care has been taken to insert only those which were believed to be strietly 
true. Those which are the most extraordinary are, therefore, from the best authorities. 
The plan of graduating the pictures, so that they may represent the comparative dimensions 
of the animals, it is believed is entirely new; and it is hoped that this method will greatly 
facilitate the acquirement of correct ideas, on this subject, among children. When cuts of the 
different animals are all nearly of the same size, as is usually the case, children obtain only very 
confused notions of their real dimensions. The lion is often considered one of the largest ani¬ 
mals, because he is called the king of beasts. 
The form of question and answer was thought the best, inasmuch as it directs the attention 
of young children to some one particular trait or quality of the animal. As a reading book in 
schools, the questions may, however be entirely omitted, for it will be found that a connected 
history of the animal is contained in the answers, without reference to the questions. 
In respect to moral reflections in a book of this kind, it is believed every observing person 
will allow, that if they are too long and dry, the child will not willingly read them. It has 
therefore been the intention of the author, to make them rise naturally out of the subject, and so 
to connect them with the story, as to have them read with interest, and not to make them so 
long as to become tiresome. 
It was thought better to give short hints, and have them read, than to write long disserta¬ 
tions, and have them entirely overlooked. 
Hartford, Conn. December, 1847. 
