6 PREFACE. 



ledge, will learn but little, probably, from this 

 little book. Its aim is quite other. Briefly, its pur- 

 pose is, as its title implies, to tell the Story of Fish 

 Life. Man's relations thereto is thereby excluded. 

 We are to take a peep into fish world, and see, 

 as far as may be, how they fight the battle of life, 

 how they "live and move and have their being." 



Certain technicalities have been, here and there, 

 unavoidable, and will, I am sure, be patiently 

 tolerated by my readers. They are used only when 

 their omission would be at the expense of clearness. 



In the preparation of this little volume I have 

 found much help from Dr A. S. Woodward's 

 "Vertebrate Palaeontology"; Dr Bashford Deans' 

 "Fishes Living and Fossil"; Dr A. Giinther's 

 "Study of Fishes"; Dr E. H. Traquair's 

 Presidential Address at the Bradford meeting 

 of the British Association (1900), as well as his 

 numerous and valuable contributions to the 

 proceedings of various learned societies; and to 

 Mr Lydekker's "Eoyal Natural History." All 

 these works can profitably be consulted by those 

 of my readers who may be induced to pursue 

 this fascinating study further. 



Finally, I have to record my grateful thanks 

 to many kind friends for much kind help in 

 seeing this little book through the press. And 

 especially am I indebted to Dr A. L. Giinther, 

 F.R.S., who has guided me through many dark 

 places, and in every way lightened my labours by 

 giving me the benefit of his own rich experience. 



W. P. PYCRAFT. 



