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The PREFACE.

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...Bark Hut, at the Approach of Rain to keep me and my Cargo Catesby's "cargo" refers to his growing collection of dried plants, preserved skins, and the sketches that would form the basis of his publication. from Wet.

I shall next proceed to an account of the Method I have observed in giving the Natural History of these Countries; To begin therefore with Plants, I had principally a Regard to Forest-Trees and Shrubs, shewing their several Mechanical and other Uses, as in Building, Joynery Cabinet-making or woodworking., Agriculture, and others used for Food and Medicine. I have likewise taken notice of those Plants, that will bear our English Climate, which I have experienced from what I have growing at Mr. Bacon's, Successor of the late Mr. Fairchild at Hoxton Thomas Fairchild (1667–1729) was a famous London gardener and author of "The City Gardener." His nursery in Hoxton was a site of early botanical experimentation, including the creation of the first recorded scientific plant hybrid., where many have withstood the Rigour of several Winters, without Protection, while other Plants, tho' from the same Country, have perished for Want of it.

There being a greater Variety of the feather'd Kind than of any other Animals (at least to be come at) and excelling in the Beauty of their Colours, besides having oftenest relation to the Plants on which they feed and frequent; I was induced chiefly (so far as I could) to compleat an Account of them, rather than to describe promiscuously, Insects and other Animals; by which I must have omitted many of the Birds, for I had not Time to do all, by which Method I believe very few Birds have escaped my Knowledge, except some Water Fowl and some of those which frequent the Sea.

Of Beasts there are not many Species different from those in the old World A term used by Europeans to refer to Europe, Africa, and Asia, as opposed to the "New World" of the Americas., most of these I have Figur'd, except those which do

...hospitality and the assistance of these Indians; furthermore, I lived off the game they hunted. Their first care, as soon as we were threatened by rain, was to quickly build me a bark hut to provide shelter for myself and my cargo.

I will now give an account of the method I followed in composing the natural history of these countries, which I am presenting to the public; and to begin with the plants, I particularly focused on the forest trees and shrubs. I have shown their various mechanical and other uses for buildings, joinery, agriculture, for the food of men and animals, and for medicine. I have also noted the plants that can withstand the English climate, which I have learned through experience by observing what happens in the garden of Mr. Bacon, successor to the late Mr. Fairchild at Hoxton, where several of these plants have resisted the severity of several winters, even though exposed to the open air, while others, although from the same country, died because they were not protected from the cold.

The great variety of birds (which far exceeds that of other animals, at least those that one can catch), the beauty of the colors with which their plumage is adorned, and the relationship they most often have with the plants they feed on or frequent—all this prompted me to make, as far as possible, a complete description of them, rather than giving a jumbled account of insects and other animals. This would have forced me to omit several birds, for I did not have the time to do everything. In this way, I believe that few birds have escaped my notice, except for some aquatic birds and some of those that frequent the sea.

As for the quadrupeds, there are only a few species different from those found in the Old World; I have drawn the majority of them, except those that do not differ much from the same...