I shall ever feel most thankful for the undeviating
kindness with which I was treated, during our long
voyage.
The present volume contains in the form of a
journal, a sketch of those observations in Geology and
Natural History, which I thought would possess some
general interest. As it was originally intended to
have preceded any more detailed account, and as its
publication has been unavoidably delayed, the briefness
and imperfection of several parts, I hope, will
be excused. I have given a list of those errata
(partly caused by my absence from town when some
of the sheets were in the press) which affect the
sense ; and have added an Appendix, containing some
additional facts (especially on the theory of the transportation
of erratic blocks) which I have accidentally
met with during the past year. I hope shortly to
publish my geological observations ; the first Part of
which will be on the Volcanic Islands of the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans, and on Coral Formations ; and
the second Part wdll treat of South America. Several
numbers of the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle,
due to the disinterested zeal of several of our first
naturalists, have already appeared. These works
could not have been undertaken, had it not been for
the liberality of the Lords Commissioners of Her
Majesty’s Treasury, who, through the representation
of the Right Honourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
have been pleased to grant a sum of one
thousand pounds towards defraying part of the expenses
of publication. I have repeated in this volume
my account of the habits of some of the birds and
quadrupeds of South America, as I thought such
observations might interest those readers who would
not, probably, consult the larger work. But I trust
that naturalists will remember, that mere sketches are
here given on several subjects, which will hereafter be
more fully entered on, or have already been so :—for
instance, the notices of the strange fossil quadrupeds
of the eastern plains of South America are exceedingly
imperfect, whilst an admirable account of them by
Mr. Owen now forms the first part of the Zoology of
the Voyage of the Beagle.
I shall have the pleasure of acknowledging the
great assistance I have received from several naturalists,
in the course of this and the succeeding works ;
but I must be here allowed to return my most sincere
thanks to the Reverend Professor Henslow, who,
wnen I was an under-graduate at Cambridge, was one
chief means of giving me a taste for Natural History,
—who, during my absence, took charge of the collections
I sent home, and by his correspondence directed
my endeavours,—and who, since my return, has constantly
rendered me every assistance which the kindest
friend could offer.
C. D.
VOL. n i .