24 INTR OD UCTION. 



ing my sincere thanks to the President and Council of the 

 Zoological Society for the privileges and facilities afforded 

 me at their Gardens, where not only the Reptilium but the 

 annual series of zoological lectures there, given by the first 

 biologists of the day, have been of inexpressible use to me. 



I would also express my thanks to Professor Flower, Hun- 

 terian Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons, London, 

 for his invariable courtesy in facilitating my examination of 

 the ophiological specimens in the museum of that College, 

 to which my honoured father (himself a member) attributed 

 all the love of the study of natural history which from our 

 earliest recollections were encouraged in his children. My 

 thanks are also due to Dr. Giinther of the British Museum 

 for similar facilities there. Indeed, the words of encourage- 

 ment given me, no less than six years ago, by the dis- 

 tinguished heads of the zoological department of our great 

 national collection, sustained my courage in opposition 

 to all counter influences outside the British Museum. When 

 first contemplating and presenting some outline of this 

 work to Dr. Giinther, he honoured me by expressing his 

 opinion that such a book was * much needed ; ' that it 

 would be 'extremely useful and interesting.' He was 

 even so kind as to promise to state this opinion in writing 

 to any publisher who might consult him on the subject. 

 I here claim the pleasure of thanking my present publishers 

 for dispensing with the necessity of troubling Dr. Gunther, 

 and for entrusting me with the preparation of this 

 book, which, before a chapter of it w^as completed, they 

 engaged to publish. Deficient as I feel it to be, it is at 

 length launched on the doubtful waters of public criticism. 



