NATURAL HISTORY READING-BOOKS. 105 



rest or refreshment. At half-past seven a messenger 

 from the printer arrived, with instructions not to take 

 his departure until the index was placed in his hands. 

 All the afternoon and all the evening we toiled, and at 

 last, an hour after midnight, the last slip was cut out 

 and gummed in its place, the last reference added, and 

 the boy departed with the manuscript, to get back to 

 town as best he might. And ten days later the first 

 edition of the work was in the hands of the booksellers. 



Early in 1879 " The Lane and Field " appeared ; 

 and shortly afterwards my father entered into arrange- 

 ments with Messrs. Isbister and Co. for the production 

 of a series of six " Natural History Readers " for the 

 use of schools, graduated in accordance with the capa- 

 bilities of the seven " standards," and prepared in 

 accordance with the requirements of the Educational 

 Commissioners. These books, of course, were to be 

 divided off into "lessons" in the orthodox manner, were 

 to have all words not in common use carefully explained, 

 and were to embrace a review of the entire animal 

 kingdom, from the monkeys down to the sponges. They 

 were, of course, published singly, at intervals, and were 

 quickly introduced into many schools in Great Britain. 

 Recently, too, they have been brought out in America, 

 and have there also met with a considerable amount of 

 success. 



A few months later came " The Field Naturalist's 

 Handbook," the joint production of my father and 

 myself, the monthly lists, &c., falling to my share, 

 while he wrote the preface and the introductions to the 



