PREFACE. 



THIS book forms the basis of instruction upon the 

 natural history of animals in the secondary schools of 

 France. In no other country is so high a place assigned 

 to the natural and physical sciences as a means of edu- 

 cation. It therefore follows naturally that the French 

 have the best text-books upon these subjects. Trans- 

 lations of their advanced works have been the authorized 

 class-books in American colleges for the last quarter 

 of a century, and Paul Bert's " First Steps in Scientific 

 Knowledge" and " Primer of Scientific Knowledge" 

 have made the successful teaching of elementary science 

 possible in the earlier years of the educational course. 



The present work treats the subject of natural history 

 in a manner adapted to the needs of secondary schools, 

 using methods found by experience to excite most in- 

 terest on the part of the pupil. 



In the translation the plan of the original work has 

 been followed closely ; but such changes have been made 

 as were needed to Americanize the book. 



The illustrations form an important feature of such a 

 work. We desire to extend our thanks to Messrs. W. 

 and R. Chambers & Co. for permission to use cuts from 

 the new Chambers's Encyclopaedia, without which it 

 would have been extremely difficult to give the book 

 its present value in this respect. 



Many of the cuts of animals are from ' photographs, 

 and of special scientific value. 



