general effects and the prospective consequences of human action upon
the earth's surface and the life which peoples it. This chapter is
followed by four others in which I have traced the history of man's
industry as exerted upon Animal and Vegetable Life, upon the Woods, upon
the Waters, and upon the Sands; and to these I have added a concluding
chapter upon Man.

It is perhaps superfluous to add, what indeed sufficiently appears upon
every page of the volume, that I address myself not to professed
physicists, but to the general intelligence of observing and thinking
men; and that my purpose is rather to make practical suggestions than to
indulge in theoretical speculations more properly suited to a different
class from that for which I write.

GEORGE P. MARSH.

December 1, 1868.



PREFACE TO THE PRESENT EDITION.


In preparing for the press an Italian translation of this work,
published at Florence in 1870, I made numerous corrections in the
statement of both facts and opinions; I incorporated into the text and
introduced in notes a large amount of new data and other illustrative
matter; I attempted to improve the method by differently arranging many
of the minor subdivisions of the chapters; and I suppressed a few
passages which teemed to me superfluous. In the present edition, which