CHAPTER V. 



LITERARY WORK (continued}. 



Appearance of the larger Natural History " Common Objects of the 

 Microscope " The " Old and New Testament Histories " " Glimpses into 

 Petland " Incredulous Critics " Homes without Hands " Review in 

 The Times A curious characteristic Editorship of The Soy's Own 

 Magazine "The Zoological Gardens" Failure of the publisher An 

 amusing correspondence "Common Shells of the Sea-shore" "The 

 Fresh and Salt Water Aquarium " "Our Garden Friends and Foes" 

 Commencement of " The Natural History of Man " Preliminary investi- 

 gations Collection of savage weapons and implements "Bible Animals" 

 How the double work was performed The raison d'etre of " Bible 

 Animals" Its completion and appearance in volume form "Common 

 British Moths," and " Common British Beetles" "Insects at Home" 

 The "Modern Playmate" "Insects Abroad" Difficulty of obtaining 

 information. 



THE first part of the great Natural History was 

 published in the month of March, 1859, and for forty- 

 eight consecutive months the parts regularly appeared, 

 until the whole animal creation, from the anthropoid 

 apes down to the infusoria and the sponges, had been 

 carefully and systematically described. The book was 

 by no means a strictly scientific work, in the ordinary 

 sense of the term. It was intended for the general 

 public rather than for a special and limited class of 

 readers, and aimed, as all its predecessors from the same 

 pen had done, at making the study of zoology bright 

 and interesting to those who knew little about it, while 

 yet the need for accuracy was carefully kept in mind 

 throughout. In fact, to quote the words of the preface 



