vi PREFACE. 



animal kingdom, seeking exceptions to his laws, but finding none, when 

 death closed his patient and far-seeing eyes. A few days before the 

 end he begged me to finish this abstract, for I had been at his side 

 through all his labours. 



The work contains his views as clearly as I could express them, 

 though on every page I feel they suffer from want of amplification. 

 But I feared the work might become the expression of my own thoughts, 

 though want of leisure would probably have prevented that unhappy 

 result. Now it is finished, I would fain write it all over again, for 

 methinks between the lines can be seen gleams of brighter light. 



SYDNEY B. J. SKERTCHLY. 



Carshalton, 



July 11th, 1886. 



The coloured illustrations were drawn by Mrs. Skertchly chiefly from nature, 

 and very carefully printed by Messrs. Alabaster, Passmore, and Sons. 



