PREFACE. 



to equality of interest or utility with fictional ren- 

 derings of murder, bigamy, and divorce-trials: of that 

 no one better than myself is aware. I doubt whether 

 they can even claim equality with a well - idealised 

 record of petty larceny. Things small and mean have 

 their uses in God's coordination, notwithstanding. 

 My 'Stray Leaves' have done some service on the 

 biscuit-and-cheese principle when serially published 

 in magazines. Their author craves permission for the 

 modest hope that in this collected and corrected form 

 their utility may not be less. 



Mainly selected from the Leisure Hour (in which 

 my papers have taken substantive rank, scientific 

 instruction being one of the specialities of that peri- 

 odical), from the Dublin University Magazine, from 

 Belgravia, Temple Bar, Tinsleys*, St. James' 's, and 

 Chambers' s Journal, my ' Stray Leaves,' in this their 

 present form, have been grouped under appropriate 

 headings, and the scientific points brought up to the 

 cognisance of the times. In this way the attempt 

 has been made to give a continuity and a solidity 

 to the theses, which the exigencies of periodical ap- 

 pearance sometimes do not admit of. That the science 

 is correct, so far as it goes, I know ; that the folk-lore 

 has the warranty of authentic records, I also know, 

 having collated it from accredited documents. The 

 idea of giving authorities in foot - notes did once 



