Book excerpt: Excerpt from The Museum of Natural History, With Introductory Essay on the Natural History of the Primeval World Before we enter upon an exposition of the fascinating science which teaches us the habits and structure of the various forms of animal life, arranges them in their several tribes and genera and species, points out their resemblances and differences, and determines their part in the grand economy of the universe; before, in a word, we proceed to a survey of the Animal Kingdom as it is now presented to our gaze, it is well we should inquire into its earlier history, and ascertain what facts we can respecting the past condition of its individual members. The researches of modern geologists have revealed to us the fact that Earth was not always tenanted by the same forms of animal life, but that each age and period has possessed its own separate creation; each creation being, as it were, an advance upon its prede cessor, and a further, and in some respects a grander, development of the Creative Power. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.