X PREFACE 



Of late years also much attention lias been 

 directed to the elucidation of the life history of the 

 Foraminifera and other groups of the Protozoa, 

 whilst fresh discoveries concerning the geographical 

 distribution of the fossil Foraminifera and their range 

 in time have served to make our knowledge of this 

 group more complete, and in some cases have 

 disturbed the generally accepted ideas about the 

 early, if not the actual primaeval, forms of these per- 

 sistent types of animal life. 



With a view, therefore, of meeting a demand 

 which has arisen for a concise account of the 

 Foraminifera, suited to the requirements of the 

 student of Natural History and Paleontology, the 

 following pages have been written. 



For friendly criticism of the earlier chapters of 

 this book, and for valuable advice, I am much 

 indebted to Professor G. B. Howes, LL.D., F.R.S. I 

 also take this as a fitting opportunity for expressing 

 my thanks to Professor J. W. Judd, C.B., LL.D., 

 F.R.S., for the facilities granted from time to time, 

 in the laboratory of the Royal College of Science, for 

 working out and recording observations on various 

 deposits, fossil and recent, without which some 

 sections of this book would have been incomplete. 



F. CHAPMAN. 



January 1902. 



