vi REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS AND FISHES 



Those who seek to discover the subtle and mysteri- 

 ous factors which Qfovern the transformation of animals 

 will find much food for thought in Mr. Lydekker's 

 account of the reptiles, and in the chapters on the 

 nursing habits of amphibia and fishes by Mr. G. A. 

 Boulenger and Mr. J. T. Cunningham ; and to these 

 we would add the weird and fascinating chapter on the 

 fish -life of the abysses of the ocean — a world wherein 

 the light of day never penetrates, and where the pall of 

 night is broken only by the pale phosphoresence emitted 

 by the creatures doomed to dwell there ! 



The names of the contributors to this volume alone 

 vouch for the sterling merit of its contents : for they are 

 men of established reputation. It is, therefore, unneces- 

 sary to say anything of their attainments. But I should 

 like to thank them here for the help they have so 

 generously given me in my endeavour to make these 

 volumes a landmark in the annals of zoological litera- 

 ture. Some of our neighbours assure us that " Darwin- 

 ism is dead ". If these pages show anything they show 

 that the contrary is emphatically the case ! 



Though my task as Editor, with such contributors, 

 could not but be an easy one as to the substance of 

 the work, yet the burden imposed by purely mechanical 

 details was really heavy, so much so that ill-health com- 

 pelled me to hand over my labours before they had well 

 begun to my friend, Mr. J. T. Cunningham. He has, 

 however, displayed such scrupulous care and zeal that 

 my practical retirement has in no way injured the scheme 

 I had so much at heart. 



W. P. PYCRAFT 



