VI PREFACE. 



forward an opinion of his own on these matters, he knows 

 that he could not follow a surer guide than the author of 

 the " Mammals of India" 



He feels that the numerous extracts from other writers 

 are the only parts of this book likely to be interesting. It 

 is somewhere recorded that a sturdy Border shepherd attend- 

 ed Kirk to hear a new Minister. Certain portions of the 

 discourse were quotations, the soundness of which exceedingly 

 pleased the honest Borderer, who, as each was brought for- 

 ward, nodded his head with much satisfaction and muttered, 

 " That's Knox }) or " That's Chalmers, <&c." When however 

 the preacher spoke for himself, our shepherd with the utmost 

 contempt exclaimed, " That's his am," and straightway com- 

 posed himself to sleep. In like manner, those who find 

 aught to interest them in this book will doubtless say, 

 " That's Hawkeye" or " That's so and so :" but when they 

 say, " That's his am," the writer begs them to remember 

 that these notes are merely an attempt by an untrained pen- 

 man to support, from personal observations as a woodsman 

 and a wanderer, what has been told by others. He does 

 not think that there are many mistakes in what is said 

 regarding the habits of wild animals ; that there are number- 

 less errors in punctuation, style and orthography he knows ; 

 most of these are caused by his vile hand-writing and want 

 of practice in looking over proof sheets, and as he cannot 

 trust himself to correct them now, he must only apologize 

 most heartily for them, both to the publishers and readers 

 of these notes. 



A. C. McMASTEB. 



