The Making of Species 



avoid technical terms, and have made a special 

 point of quoting, wherever practicable, familiar 

 animals as examples, in order that the work may 

 make its appeal not only to the zoologist but 

 to the general reader. 



It may, perhaps, be urged against us that we 

 have quoted too freely from popular writings, 

 including those of which we are the authors. 

 Our reply to this is that the study of bionomics, 

 the science of living animals, occupies so small 

 a place in English scientific literature that we 

 have been compelled to have recourse to popular 

 works for many of our facts ; and we would, 

 moreover, point out that a popular work is not 

 necessarily inaccurate in its information. 



In conclusion, we would warn the reader 

 against the danger of confounding Inference 

 with Fact. The failure to distinguish between 

 the two has vitiated much of the work of the 

 Wallaceian school of biologists. 



Facts are always to be accepted. Inferences 

 should be scrutinised with the utmost care. 



In making our deductions, we have en- 

 deavoured to act without bias. We shall, there- 

 fore, welcome any new facts, be they consistent 

 with, or opposed to, our inferences. 



D. D. 

 F. F. 



Xll 



