PREFACE 



r ~PHE very hearty support accorded to this book before 

 its issue seems to imply that the people of Shropshire 

 take a real interest in local Natural History. I feel, there- 

 fore, that any apology for its publication is unnecessary, but 

 would like to say a few words as to the form in which it 

 is written. I have explained in the introductions to the 

 chapters on Mammals and Birds, my reasons for treating the 

 former at length, and the latter with brevity, and expressed 

 a hope that the defect in this instance might be remedied in a 

 subsequent volume. In the present book I have attempted, 

 firstly, to give local records a prominent position, and to 

 render the list of species so complete that it may be relied 

 on as a work of reference in future years. It is only to be 

 expected that errors should creep into a work of this nature, 

 but I can assure my readers that no pains have been spared 

 to eradicate them. Secondly, it has been my aim to give a 

 complete, accurate, yet readable account of each species, and 

 as I always feel that the greatest interest attaches to the 

 common species, I have, as a rule, devoted more space to 

 these than the rare or extinct ones. If it should be thought 

 that the space devoted to the Amphibia is unduly large, I 

 would plead in extenuation that, although so common, these 

 humble creatures are not studied as they deserve to be, and 

 I have not met with any book that describes with completeness 



