A HISTORY OF THE EARTH AND ANIMATED NATURE. By OLIVER GOLDSMITH. WITH NUMEROUS NOTES FROM THE WORKS OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED BRITISH AND FOREIGN NATURALISTS. ILLUSTRATED BY UPWARDS OF TWO THOUSAND FIGURES. VOLUME I. BLACKIE AND SON: FREDERICK STREET, GLASGOW; SOUTH COLLEGE STREET, EDINBURGH; MDCCCLX. but would interfere in many cases with the integrity of the author's text-a point which no expediency could justify, and which, if once admitted in reprints of standard books, would put an end to all reliance on their fidelity. It was, therefore, resolved to publish the HISTORY OF THE EARTH AND ANIMATED NATURE without transposition or alteration of any kind, but to supply, in the shape of NOTES, whatever was found necessary for the correction or illustration of the text, including descriptions of the different systematic arrangements of the Animal Kingdom adopted by the more distinguished modern naturalists. By this method, the reader would have the satisfaction of possessing, in its entire and unaltered state, the celebrated work of GOLDSMITHI, accompanied, at the same time, by a fund of additional matter, which would bring down the history of the subjects treated of, and all the recent important discoveries connected therewith, to the present day. Following this design, no pains have been spared to render its execution satisfactory. A glance over the volumes will at once show how copiously they are illustrated, in all their departments-ASTRONOMY, GEOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, and PHYSIOLOGY, as well as ZOOLOGY. Notes, in short, far surpass in extent of letter-press the text itself. They have been compiled from almost every variety of source, including all the most approved modern publications on Natural Science and History. In most of the editions of GOLDSMITH'S NATURAL HISTORY, the Illustrative Plates have either been few in number, or exceedingly deficient in truth and artistic quality, or have been both few and bad. The Publishers desired to obviate any such fatal objections to the present edition; and they believe, that the Plates they have introduced, in number, as well as in quality, will give evidence of the attention that has been paid to the illustrative department. These contain nearly Two THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED FIGURES, embracing an extensive series of genera, species, and individuals; and of this number, upwards of Two HUNDRED FIGURES, forming groups of the most interesting families, are truthfully and carefully coloured. GOLDSMITH's popular writings are of a class that "the world will not willingly let die;" and it is hoped, that the extensive additions now made to his Natural History, and the pictorial illustrations prepared for it, will render it better suited to the wants of the present day, and will aid in the perpetuation of a Work of which Dr. Johnson prophesied that it would prove as interesting as a fairy tale." 66 GLASGOW, 1852. |