Vlll PREFACE 



and five by Messrs. Adam and Charles Black, the 

 publishers of Flower and Lydekker's standard work 

 on Mammals. 



It is hoped that most of the leading facts and 

 the conclusions to be drawn therefrom as to the dis- 

 tribution of existing Mammals have been correctly 

 stated in the course of this work, and that it may 

 be of some use to students of this most attractive 

 branch of Zoology. At the same time, it should 

 be recollected that science in all its branches moves 

 fast nowadays, and that statements which are 

 perfectly correct one day may be falsified at any 

 moment by new discoveries and by fresh investi- 

 gations. 



I must not conclude these remarks without 



offering our best thanks to Mr. W. E. de Winton, 



F.Z.S., and Mr. F. E. Beddard, F.R.S., F.Z.S., for 



their kind assistance in the compilation of the 



Tables of Genera, and in the correction of the 



proofs of this volume. 



P. L. SCLATER. 



3 Hanover Square, London, W., 

 March 1, 1899. 



