PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION 
Tais work was first published in February 1892, 
reprinted in June of the same year, and a third 
edition, with an appendix, printed in January 1895. 
It has now been for some time out of print, and as 
a demand for it still exists, the author and his present 
publisher have been encouraged to issue this new and 
cheaper edition. The letter-press and the drawings 
in the text have been left as they were; the only 
change is in the form of the book and the sub- 
stitution of new plates for the old ones. 
The following paragraphs appeared in the Preface 
to former editions :— 
‘‘The plan I have followed in this work has been 
‘to sift and arrange the facts I have gathered con- 
cerning the habits of the animals best known to 
me, preserving those only, which, in my judgment, 
appeared to be worth recording. In some instances 
a variety of subjects have linked themselves together 
in my mind, and have been grouped under one 
heading; consequently the scope of the work is 
not indicated by the list of contents: this want 
is, however, made good by the index.” 
“Tt is seldom an easy matter to give a suitable 
name to a book of this description. I am _ con- 
scious that the one I have made choice of displays 
Vv 
