Letters from Alabama: Chiefly Relating to Natural History

Preface

Preface The following pages contain records of impressions made upon my mind during a residence of seven or eight months in the hilly region of the State of Alabama . It is a part of the United States visited by comparatively few Europeans; and those who have ever seen it have almost exclusively confined their acquaintance with it to the brief glances obtained from the interior of a stage coach, or the deck of a river steamer. The aspect of nature, in particular, presented much that was novel and beautiful to me, and induced me to believe that what had pleased me in the observation might please others in the recital. The direction of my thoughts was principally towards Natural History; and Entomology was the particular branch which at that period I most studied. Hence a large (perhaps an undue) portion of the remarks concerns Insects; and this may perhaps be the rather tolerated, because less is known in Europe of Ameri­ can Entomology, than of other branches of Zoology, which are popu­ larly studied. These letters have already appeared in the form of contributions to a magazine entitled “The Home Friend.” They have been revised, and are now reproduced , in the hope that they may prove a not wholly valueless contribution to Natural History. P. H. G. TORQUAY, July, 1859 ...