It ON ANIMAL LIFE 97 
poraries it is not too much to say that, as in 
the case of plants, there is not one the structure, 
habits, and life-history of which are yet fully 
known to us. The male of the Cynips, which 
produces the common King Charles Oak 
Apple, has only recently been discovered, 
those of the root-feeding Aphides, which live 
in hundreds in every nest of the yellow 
Meadow Ant (Lasius flavus) are still un- 
known; the habits and mode of reproduction 
of the common Eel have only just been dis- 
covered ; and we may even say generally that 
many of the most interesting recent discover- 
ies have relation to the commonest and most 
familiar animals. 
IMPORTANCE OF THE SMALLER ANIMALS 
Whatever pre-eminence Man may claim for 
himself, other animals have done far more to 
affect the face of nature. The principal 
agents have not been the larger or more in- 
telligent, but rather the. smaller, and individ- 
ually less important, species. Beavers may 
have dammed up many of the rivers of Brit- 
H 
