LONDON:
HENRY G. BOHN, 4, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN.
MDCCCXXXVII.
MR. DRURY'S PREFACE
TO THE FIRST EDITION.
VOL. II.
To gratify a laudable curiosity, and lead the mind to the exercise of one of its noblest faculties, was the motive that first encouraged me to publish a work of this kind. How far it has answered these ends, what pleasure it has produced, of what benefit or advantage it has been to mankind, by inducing them to contemplate the admirable works of Providence, and trace its wisdom and goodness through the medium of this branch of the history of nature, are circumstances, the confined sphere of life in which I have hitherto moved, has not given me those opportunities of knowing that I could wish. But the kind reception the first volume of this work has met with, seems to justify the opinion that it has not been written in vain.
In the Preface to my former volume, I told my readers, that my design of giving an addition to that work, would entirely depend on the reception the public should be pleased to give it. I was willing to have some proof of the public approbation, before I ventured rashly to engage further in so considerable an expense as the engraving and colouring the plates, &c. which was too great for me to incur without a prospect of a reimbursement.
It is now with the utmost pleasure I can declare, that I have the greatest reason to be satisfied on that head; the world has generously encouraged my first attempt, and it is to that cause the present volume owes its appearance. The quick sale of a great number of copies, on the first publication, was a proof of the great progress natural history had made; and gave me the utmost hopes a continuation might be equally as acceptable, if conducted on the same plan, and rendered as agreeable by the exertion of the artist's abilities. I have now the satisfaction of offering a volume to the public not inferior to the first.