THE

PHILO ZLATY

NATURAL HISTORY

BY

WILLIAM SMELLIE,

MEMBER OF THE ANTIQUARIAN AND ROYAL SOCIETIES OF EDINBURGH.

WITH AN

INTRODUCTION

AND

VARIOUS ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS,

INTENDED TO ADAPT IT TO

THE PRESENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE.

BY

JOHN WARE, M. D.

Stereotype Edition.

BOSTON:

WILLIAM J. REYNOLDS,

20 Cornhill.

1844.

Q175

•564

CHICVCO TIBBYB.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1835,

BY HILLIARD, Gray, and COMPANY,

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts.

308388

EXTRACT

FROM THE PREFACE TO THE ORIGINAL WORK

TORY.

ABOUT fifteen years ago, in a conversation with the late wor thy, respectable, and ingenious Lord Kames, upon the too general neglect of natural knowledge, his Lordship suggested the idea of composing a book on the PHILOSOPHY OF NATURAL HISIn a work of this kind, he proposed that the productions of Nature, which to us are almost infinite, should, instead of being treated of individually, be arranged under general heads; that, in each of these divisions, the known facts, as well as reasonings, should be collected and methodized in the form of regular discourses; that as few technical terms as possible should be employed; and that all the useful and amusing views arising from the different subjects should be exhibited in such a manner as to convey both pleasure and information.

This task his Lordship was pleased to think me not altogether unqualified to attempt. The idea struck me. I thought that a work of this kind, if executed even with moderate abilities, might excite a taste for examining the various objects which every where solicit our attention. A habit of observation refines our feelings. It is a source of interesting amusement, prevents idle or vicious propensities, and exalts the mind to a love of virtue and of rational entertainment. I likewise reflected, that men of learning often betray an ignorance on the most common subjects of Natural History, which it is painful to remark

I have been occasionally employed, since the period which I have mentioned, in collecting and digesting materials from the most authentic sources. These materials I have interspersed with such observations, reflections, and reasonings, as occurred to me from considering the multifarious subjects of which I have ventured to treat. I knew that a deliberate perusal of the numerous writers from Aristotle downwards, would require a considerable portion of time. But the avocations of business, and the translating of a work so voluminous as the Natural History of the COUNT DE BUFFON, rendered my progress much slower than 1 wished. I now, however, with much diffidence, submit my labors to public opinion.

With regard to the manner of writing, it is perhaps impossible for a North Briton, in a work of any extent, to avoid what are called Scotticisms. But I have endeavored to be every where perspicuous, and to shun every sentiment and expression which might have a tendency to injure the feelings of individuals.

Indulgent readers, though they must perceive errors and imperfections, will naturally make some allowance for the variety of research, and the labor of condensing so much matter into so small a compass. He is a bad author, it has been said, who affords neither an aphorism nor a motto.

Upon the whole, the general design of this publication is, to convey to the minds of youth, and of such as may have paid little attention to the study of Nature, a species of knowledge which it is not difficult to acquire. The knowledge will be a perpetual and inexhaustible source of many pleasures; it will afford innocent and virtuous amusement, and will occupy agreeably the leisure or vacant hours of life.

ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE FIRST EDITION.

In preparing this edition of Smellie's Philosophy of Natural History, I have endeavored to avail myself of such modern discoveries and improvements in Physiology and Natural History as are connected with the subjects of which the book treats. It will be observed that instead of the two first chapters of the original work, I have substituted an Introduction, containing some very general views of animal and vegetable life, and a brief sketch of the structure and classification of the whole animal kingdom. That something of this kind was rendered necessary on account of the light thrown upon these subjects by the progress recently made in Comparative Anatomy, cannot be doubted; and it was found easier to compose these chapters entirely anew, than to incorporate the requisite additions with them as they originally stood.

With regard to the remainder of the work, although a good deal has been added or rewritten, yet it has upon the whole been made considerably shorter, by the omission of many passages, which did not seem of sufficient importance to be retained; and also by the omission of many passages and a few chapters which touch upon subjects interesting only to the scientific reader, and which were deemed unnecessary in an edition intended for general use.

Some apology may perhaps be required for the freedom with which these alterations have been made in a standard work of so great merit. On this subject it can only be said, that there