o f a large collection o f specimens in various branches o f natural
history ; hut from the great expense necessary to secure their
publication, I was without the means o f rendering them generally
serviceable.
The Presidents of the Linnean, Zoological, and Geological
Societies, having given me their opinion respecting the utility to
he derived from publishing these materials, I addressed a letter
to the R ight Honourable the Chancellor ot the Exchequer
(T. Spring Rice, Esq.) informing him o f the circumstances
under which I hoped that I might venture to solicit the aid ol
Government. In reply, I received a communication (as below)
announcing to me that the Lords o f the Treasury, from their
readiness to promote Science, were willing, under certain conditions,
to give me the most liberal assistance.
“ Treasury Chambers, August 31, 1837.
“ S i r ,
“ I t liaAng been represented to the Lords Commissioners of Her
Majesy-s Treasury, from various quarters, that great advantage wmuld be
derived to the Science of Natural History, if arrangements could be made for
enabling you to publish, in a convenient form, and at a cheap rate, the result
of your labours in that branch of science, my Lords will feel themselves ju s tified
in giving their sanction to the application of a sum, not exceeding in the
whole one thousand pounds, in aid of such a publication ; upon the clear and
distinct understanding that the Work should be published, and the plates
engraved, in such a manner as to be most advantageous to the Public at large,
u p 4 apian of arrangement to be previously submitted to, and sanctioned by
the Board, after consultation with those persons, who, from their attainments
in this branch of science, are the most capable of adrising their Lordships
thereupon; and that the payments on account of the said sum of one thousand
pounds are to be made to you from time to time, on a certificate that
such progress has been made in the engravings, in accordance with the plan
previously approved of, as to justify the issue then applied for. My Lords
have therefore directed me to communicate to you the views they entertain
upon this subject; and to apprize you that they will be prepared to act in
conformity with their arrangement, upon learning from you that you are
ready to proceed with the Work upon the principles above laid down, and
upon receiving from you a statement of the manner in which you think the
Work should be published, and the plates engraved, so as most effectually to
accomplish the object my Lords have in view, in sanctioning the payment from
the Public Funds, in aid of the expenses of the Work in question.
“ I remain,
“ Sir, Your Obedient Servant,
“ A. Y. S p e a rm a n . ”
The object o f the present Work is to give descriptions and
figures o f iindescribed and imperfectly known animals, both
fossil and recent, together with some account, in the one case,
ot their geological position, and iii the other o f their habits and
ranges. As I do not possess the knowledge requisite for such an
undertaking, and as I am, moreover, particularly engaged in
jireparing an account o f the geological observations, made during
the voyage, several gentlemen have most kindly undertaken
different portions o f the Work. Besides the vei-y great advantage
insured in thus enlisting the attainments o f these Naturalists in
the several departments o f science, to which they have paid most