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Preface to the Fifth Edition 



IN the preparation of the present edition of the Anatomy^ 

 Rabbit, comparatively Httle alteration has been made in the body 

 of the text. Many minor corrections and emendations have, how- 

 ever, been recorded. 



As explained in previous editions, the main purpose of the text 

 is to set forth in some kind of practical sequence a plan for the 

 orderly study of a typical mammal, supplemented by a brief 

 exposition of the relation of this kind of study to the content and 

 outlook of cognate biological sciences. 



The methods adopted by anatomical instructors are subject to 

 wide variation, based no doubt upon personal preference and per- 

 haps to some extent upon habit and upon laboratory facilities 

 available. This is as it should be, though not capable of being 

 covered by any system of texts. After all, a student must go 

 through the process of acquiring a rather complex assortment of 

 detached pieces of information before a comprehensive view of the 

 ensemble of mammalian organization may be obtained. There is 

 thus plenty of room for selection in the order of study, provided 

 the requirement is met of avoiding the destruction of unidentified 

 parts. One of the older difficulties of anatomical teaching, perhaps 

 unintentionally fostered by all text-books, namely thorough, and 

 often unstimulating, preliminary study of the skeleton before dis- 

 section, is being overcome by judicious division of skeletal studies 

 into an introductory survey followed at suitable intervals with 

 special study during dissection. The method of using a region 

 under dissection as a basis for topical teaching of related physio- 

 logical and morphological associations has also much to recom- 

 mend it. 



Teaching responsibility is ever an interesting issue but never- 

 theless so often overlooked that it becomes an important question 

 as to whether the opportunities and obligations of anatomical 

 teaching are being met. For the non-professional student perhaps 

 the chief consideration is the avoidance of half-assimilated, un- 

 verified information. For the student looking forward to profes- 



