PREFACE. 



The First Edition of this Guide was issued, without 

 illustrations, on the 19th April, 1881 ; the second in 1882,. 

 illustrated with thirtj-one wood engravings ; a third, slightly 

 altered, appeared in 1884. A fourth Edition, almost wholly 

 re-written, with many fresh illustrations, appeared in 1886,. 

 and a fifth, with only a few alterations, in 1888. The sixth 

 Edition appeared in April, 1890, and 3,000 copies were sold up- 

 to October, 1895. Of these six editions, altogether 18j000' 

 copies have been issued. 



The publication of Mr. R. Lydekker's Miiseum Catalogues, 

 of the " Fossil Reptilia and Amphibia," Parts I-V. (1888-90), 

 and Mr. Arthur Smith Woodward's Catalogue of the Fossil 

 Fishes, Parts I-III. (1889-95), and the very numerous and 

 important additions made to the exhibited series of specimens 

 have necessitated the re-arrangement of a great part of these 

 Collections, and also changed the plan of the Guide. 



The writer is largely indebted to the authors of Nicholson's 

 and Lydekker's " Palaeontology " (Vol. II., " Vertebrata," by 

 R. Lydekker), from which niimerous notes and extracts have 

 been made in the compilation of this Guide. The part relat- 

 ing to the Fossil Fishes has been entirely re-written by Mr. 

 Arthur Smith Woodward. Mr. C. W. Andrev/s has also 

 obligingly assisted in the preparation oE this work. 



HENRY WOODWARD. 



Department of Geology, 

 8th April, 1896. 



