The PREFACE.

not materially differ from the same Species in Europe, and those which have been described by other Authors.

Of Serpents very few I believe have escaped me, for upon shewing my Designs of them to several of the most intelligent Persons, many of them confess'd not to have seen them all, and none of them pretended to have seen any other Kinds.

Of Fish I have described not above Five nor Six from Carolina, deferring that Work till my Arrival at the Bahama Islands; which as they afford but few Quadrupeds and Birds, I had more Time to describe the Fishes, and tho' I had been often told they were very remarkable, I Was surprised to find how lavishly Nature had adorn'd them with Marks and Colours most admirable.

As for Insects these Countries abound in numerous kinds, but I was not able to delineate a great Number of them for the Reasons already assign'd: After my Continuance almost three Years in Carolina and the adjacent parts (which the Spaniards call Florida particularly that Province lately honour'd with the name of Georgia) I went to Providence, one of the Bahama Islands; to which Place I was invited by his Excellency Charles Phinney, Esq; Governour of these Islands, and was entertain'd by him with much Hospitality and Kindness: From thence I visited many of the adjacent Islands, particularly Ilathera, Andros, Abbacco and other neighbouring Islands; tho' these rocky Islands produce many fine Plants, which I have here described; I had principally a Regard to the Fish, there being not any, or a very few of them described by any Author: Both in Carolina and on these Islands, I made successive Collections of dry'd Plants and Seeds, and at these Islands more particularly I coIlected many Submarine productions, as Shells, Corallines, Fruitices Marini, Sponges, Astroites, &c. These I imparted to my curious Friends, more particularly (as I had the greatest Obli- gations) to that great Naturalist and promoter of Science Sir Hans Sloane, Bar to whose goodness I attribute much of the Success I had in this Undertaking. As