PREFACE 



also to thank other friends for the loan of 

 lantern-slides and consequent process-blocks, 

 viz., Mr. R. Lydekker, Dr. Bather, Dr. 

 Andrews and Mr. Pyecraft of the British 

 Museum, and Professor SoUas of Oxford. I am 

 also indebted to the Trustees of the British 

 Museum for permission to use several figures of 

 extinct animals taken from the guide-books to 

 the Natural History Museum, published by 

 their order, to Messrs. Macmillan & Co., and 

 to Mr. John Murray. 



I trust that this volume will not be regarded 

 as anything more ambitious than an attempt 

 to excite in young people an interest in a 

 most fascinating study, and that it will be 

 understood that it does not profess to give 

 more than a peep at the strange and won- 

 derful history of extinct animals. 



E. RAY LANKESTER. 

 1905. 



VI 



