Vill PREFACE 
close and unprejudiced (as far as may be) observer of 
their life-ways. 
Unless I mistake, there is now an interest in the 
study of animals altogether unprecedented, and I hope 
to see appear, within the next few years, accounts of 
researches which, in many respects, will be in advance 
of anything yet produced. It is largely with the view 
of stimulating such researches that I have concluded 
to publish the principal results of my own observations 
and thinkings up to the present time, in a form readily 
accessible to all who may be interested in such studies. 
As I believe the facts to be of by far the most value 
in our present stage of progress, they will be found 
to preponderate over theory. Laws, of course, we 
should try to establish, but I believe that we must go 
on as patient observers and experimenters for many 
years yet to come, before large generalisations can 
be safely formulated. 
There will be some—possibly in high places—who 
may hold such work in light esteem, but they will 
find that, sooner or later, their lofty seats must be 
vacated, and that they must come down and delve. 
Filling up books and periodicals is one thing, and 
reaching truth another. 
The work is divisible into four parts. Part I. con- 
sists of addresses, in which my own views of the 
subject are set forth. Part II. of studies, largely 
practical, of two interesting states—feigning and 
hibernation. These are on the borderland between 
natural history and psychology, but must have 
