vi PREFACE. 



' Wood Ant,' the ' Green Crab,' 'Medusa and her Locks,' 

 and ' My Toads ' were contributed to Once a Week ; 

 and the two concluding essays, ' Life in the Ocean 

 Wave ' and ' Our Last Hippopotamus,' appeared in the 

 Daily Telegraph. 



The reader will probably see that the first twelve 

 essays are arranged according to the seasons of the year, 

 beginning with a winter of activity, and ending with a 

 winter of repose. 



