d e d i c a t i o n .
due as to Your Self ? and I am glad I am favour’d
with fo good an Opportunity of
returning you my Thanks, and making the
moft ample and publick Acknowledgments
that are in the Power of,
Honour’d Sir,
Your moft devoted
Humble Servant,
E L EAZAR ALB IN.
t o sm o l 05 v i n O Ci 5 10 T O T H E
R E A D E R.
TH A T which greatly encouraged me to undertake
this Hifiory of Birds, was the univerfal Approbation
which my Natural Hifiory of Infects met with amongft
the moft skilful and curious in Natural Knowledge, fo as
to bear a Tranflation into Latin-, but indeed it is a Task
which fome of the prime Vertuofo’s of the Age have put
me upon, and have given me their Afliftance, fome by
fornifhing me with Birds, others with curious Obfervations,
relating to their Nature, Qualities, length of Age, Food’
Habitation, Inftindt, Ufes, &c. All which Particulars I
have taken notice of my felf, and given an Account of as
I had Occafion in the Defcriptions.
And as for the Defcriptions, I have done thoie with all
the Accuracy I could from the very Birds themielves,
which I had always by me at that Time - and particularly
I took care to defcribe their Charafferijlick Notes and Specific
k Differences; and to impoie on them the moft received
and proper Names both Englijh and Latin-, in alb which
I had the Afliftance of the beft Ornithologies, particularly
of the juftly famous Mr. Willoughbfs Ornithology, and
Mr. Ray s Improvements thereof in his Synopjis methodica
Avium,