XVf Century 



PREFACE 



The past ten or fifteen years have revealed a marked growth 

 in the popular interest in the life of the sea, a growth which is 

 perhaps associated with the ever-increasing popularity of the 

 pleasure cruise. So numerous and varied are the inquiries 

 received at the British Museum (Natural History) for facts 

 concerning whales, dolphins, and the larger kinds of fishes, 

 that the authors feel that little apology is needed for the 

 publication of this book. Most of these inquiries come from 

 travellers, seafaring men and sportsmen, and it is mainly for 

 them that the book has been written. Arranged in convenient 

 form for handy reference, the authors hope, nevertheless, that 

 it will prove to be more than a mere reference work, and will 

 provide general reading for anyone interested in the study of 

 marine life. 



From the outset the question as to which animals should be 

 included and which omitted provided a difficulty, but, as far 

 as the whales and dolphins are concerned, it was decided to 

 include all the better-known forms. In the case of the fishes, 

 all those that ordinarily grow to a length of 6 feet or more 

 find a place, as well as certain smaller forms, such as the 

 flying-fishes, pilot-fishes, and remoras, which are so often 

 observed during a sea voyage. The term " fishes " is, of 

 course, used in a strictly scientific sense, and includes only 

 those animals with a backbone (Vertebrates), adapted for a 



