PREFACE 



In these pages I have attempted to place on 



record in a connected form some facts of natural 



history which have, directly or indirectly, passed 



under my own observation during a number 



of years, together with others which I have 



collected from various sources. Many of them 



are known facts brought into fresh conjunctions, 



others are somewhat less familiar, and some are 



practically new. I have endeavoured to render 



the language intelligible to those who have 



an inkling of biological knowledge ; and terms 



which may appear difficult in the text are 



usually explained in the context ; but I have 



found it impossible to avoid using the current 



phraseology of the subject. 



Morphology as comprehending the analysis of 



organic form is distinguished from art which 



concerns itself with the portrayal of form ; and 



it appeals to a much more limited circle, its 



applications being obscure and, as a general 



rule, of interest only to specialists. Its relation- 



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