INTRODUCTION 



If then, on,e can throw any side-Hght, small as it may be, on 

 the marvellous activities of Nature, the work is well worth doing. 



I am indebted to Dr. Eagle Clarke for advice and help, and 

 for his revision of some of the sections, and to Mr. Archibald 

 Thorburn, for most kindly permitting me to use one of his 

 sketches. Also to Messrs. Wheldon and Wesley, lyimited, for 

 their kind pennission in allowing me to use the frontispiece. 

 This is from a picture by J. Wolf, given to me by the late 

 Mr. H. E. Dresser, author of " The Birds of Europe." 



