Excerpt from Animal and Vegetable Physiology, Vol. 1 of 2: Considered With Reference to Natural Theology I probably never should have ventured to engage in the composition and publication of a work like the present, had not that task been assigned me by my nomination as one of the writers of the series of Bridgewater Trea tises, and had I not deeply felt the honour done me by that appointment, as well as the importance of the duty which it imposed. The hope, in which I have indulged, that my labours might eventually be useful, has been my chief support in this arduous undertaking; the progress of which has throughout been seriously impeded by the various interruptions incident to my profession, by long protracted anxieties and afflictions, and by the almost overwhelming pressure of domestic calamity. 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.