meant to be pointed out to the reader by the mark +- added before
the trivial names in* the margin.
In regard to Plates, fo necefiary an appendage to a work of
this nature, "rt might perhaps have been wifhed' that they had
been executed in a more mafferly ftile; but I have been led-to
think, that where a juft reprefentation is only meant, the excellence
of the artift is lefs necefiary, and' a correct outline the greateft
recommendation: on this confederation I have been induced to
make the attempt, by etching the. plates myfelf, from drawings
of my own, for the moft part taken from the fubjefts themfelves.
How I have fucceededrn this matter, I will leave to the Public
to determine ; all I dare fay on this head is, that they are pretty
accurate reprefentations, and perhaps will not be thought an
unacceptable addition to the text, efpecially as many of them are
of fubjefts not to be found in any other work, being figures of
fuch as were difcovered by our navigators to the South Seas, and:
thofe who have lately made refearches towards the North Pole,
I have, for the moft part, included the Birds which have lately
come under infpe&ion in one or other of the Genera of former
authors; but fome'few have notwithftanding arifen, which could
not b‘e reconciled to any Genus'yet formed, viz, the W attle*
Biro *, T inamou- f , and Sheathbill J. It muft'likewife: be
here owned, that here and there a Bird Will be met with inter*
fperfed in thefe fheets, in refpeft to the placing of which much
difficulty has occurred; but, having one or more ftrong leading
* Vo}. £ p. 364. - f Vol. II. p. in . { Vol. III. p. 268.
I 'charafters,
characters, I have judged1 it more proper to place it at the heels
o f the Genus it feemed to have moft relation to, rather than to
then the memory by creating a. new one..
It may not be amifs here to mention, that having ftill much
matter remaining in manufcript, not only in addition to what has
already been publifhed,. but alfo belonging to the prefent fheets,
which came too late to be brought into the proper place, it will
occafion me hereafter to publifh fuch remainder by way of Appendix,
as foon as a proper addition of materials, which I have
now in view before me, fhall have accrued, fufficient in confe-
quence,. as well as in quantity, to merit attention. This, however,
will require fome time;, but care fhall be taken that no unnecef-
fary delay fhall be made in bringing to view what further I have
to add: on the fubjeft.
Having faid thus much, nothing will remain but to conclude
with my moft grateful thanks for the favours of the Friends who
have afiifted me in my purfuits, and of the Public in general who
have encouraged them— content, myfelf, with having made fome
fmall addition to the labours of former times, not without the
hopes of being found worth the notice of future writers in this
branch of Natural Hijlory, when the author of the prefent work
fhall be no more.
J °HN L A T H AM .
B I R D S .