viii Preface 



reader's forbearance ; I have found it no easy task, 

 while having, as it were, to stop so frequently and refer 

 to any particular illustration, to preserve, at the same 

 time, the continuity of the writing. This I have en- 

 deavoured to make interesting in a general way, and 

 not solely from a natural history standpoint. 



My thanks are due to many who have kindly helped 

 me, to my subscribers, and especially to Mr. Howard 

 Saunders, who has been good enough to overlook my 

 manuscript. I am also indebted to Messrs. Bale, Sons 

 and Danielsson, for the great care which they have 

 taken in reproducing the illustrations. 



