Compendium of the Natural and Civil History of Chile

about them more extensively for my second compendium.

I have arranged all these beings and things according to the genera genera: the plural form of genus, a principal taxonomic category that ranks above species and below family established by the celebrated Sir Linnaeus original: "Caballero Linnéo". Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist who formalized the modern system of naming organisms., and when it has been necessary, I have formed new ones following his method; but I have deemed it convenient not to adopt his manner of distributing them, as it seemed little suited to the nature of this work: although to remedy this deficiency, I have placed at the end a catalog, in which all the beings and things will be found arranged by the classes and by the orders of that great naturalist: but I give notice that instead of his divisions, I have made use of others more familiar and more suited to the small number of objects that I describe, which serve no other purpose than to provide some order to my narration.

I have followed the steps of the Swedish naturalist, not because I am persuaded that his system is superior to all others, but because I see that in