vi PREFACE. 



animal kingdom, seeking exceptions to his laws, but finding none, when 

 death closed his patient and far-seeing eyes. A few days before the 

 end he begged me to finish this abstract, for I had been at his side 

 through all his labours. 



The work contains his views as clearly as I could express them, 

 though on every page I feel they suffer from want of amplification. 

 But I feared the work might become the expression of my own thoughts, 

 though want of leisure would probably have prevented that unhappy 

 result. Now it is finished, I would fain write it all over again, for 

 methinks between the lines can be seen gleams of brighter light. 



CJ O O 



SYDNEY B. J. SKERTCHLY. 



CAKSIIALTON, 



July llth, 1886. 



' .' The coloured illustrations were drawn by Mrs. Skertchly chiefly from nature, 

 and very carefully printed by Messrs. Alabaster, Passuiore, and Sons. 



