PREFACE. 



IN making a selection of Anecdotes, those have been 

 assembled which were supplied by me to other works, 

 and in most instances have received considerable ampli- 

 fication; others have been given which never before 

 were printed perhaps not even written; while all 

 which have been transferred from other pages to mine 

 have received the stamp of authenticity. Besides those 

 whose names are already mentioned, I have to thank 

 friends who have drawn from their private stores for 

 my advantage, and thus enabled me to offer much 

 that is perfectly new. 



Dry details of science and classification have been 

 laid aside, but a certain order has been kept to avoid 

 confusion; and although endeavours have been made 

 to throw as much interest as possible over these re- 

 corded habits and actions of the brute creation, I love 

 the latter too well to raise a doubt by one word of 

 embellishment, even if I did not abstain from principle. 



The intentions with which this work was commenced 

 have not been carried out, inasmuch as materials have 

 crowded upon me beyond all calculation; and although 

 a large portion has been rejected, the anecdotes related 



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