III.—NATURAL SCIENCE.
To render the plan of the Cabinet Library as perfect and comprehensive as possible, the design embraces useful and instructive compends of Natural Science, more especially in those branches of it which serve to illustrate the progress of general knowledge. With this intention the Proprietors have introduced into their Work what may be termed a new and important feature, by annexing to the description of each country a popular survey of its Natural History. This department has been uniformly intrusted to authors of undisputed professional attainments, amongst whom are numbered some of the most distinguished men of science in the present day. Instead of discussing the subject in a merely technical style, they have given to it a form which renders it at once intelligible and attractive to the general reader. By this means a novel interest and a more inviting aspect have been given to an important branch of knowledge, which has not hitherto been treated in combination with Civil History. In thus endeavouring to render Natural History not merely descriptive of the geological structure or the animal and vegetable productions of a country, but also illustrative of the character, habits, and resources of its inhabitants, the Cabinet Library has done what no similar publication has hitherto attempted.