tomary rules and fly into the face of tradition by 

 wringing natural science literature by the neck; 

 I am going to begin this paper by giving at once a 

 summary of its observations and conclusions, in- 

 stead of putting this summary in its accepted place 

 at the close. Moreover, I purpose throughout this 

 paper to treat its subject, not in the usual lan- 

 guage of natural science literature, but as a nar- 

 rative, in terms intelligible as my limited powers 

 permit, yet at least with an honest effort not to 

 appear profound by being obscure. 



Although at the very considerable risk of antici- 

 pating myself, I conceive this departure from 

 the established form of procedure to be justified in 

 that it will enable the reader to follow with added 

 interest those developments in this theme which 

 lead to the full and final revelation of the fore- 

 shadowed facts. And this, too, can be accomplished 

 without depriving the reader of his rightful privi- 

 lege of indulging for himself in those speculations 

 which are not the least of the amenities found in 

 the denouement of an unfolding plot. But aside 

 from even these considerations, I hold that the life 

 of the animal we are about to treat is so inherently 

 engrossing that no account of the historian need 



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