94 MY LIFE 



another cup of the same mixture. T love delicacies myself, 

 and these little eccentricities interested me; but I draw the 

 line at marmalade and tea. 



At this time I was somewhat doubtful in what particular 

 direction to work, as I found that I could not feel suffi- 

 cient interest in any branch of systematic zoology to devote 

 myself to the minute study required for the classification and 

 description of any important portion of my collections. There 

 were many other men who could do that better than I could, 

 while my special tastes led me to some work which involved 

 a good deal of reasoning and generalization. It was I think, 

 my two friends, Professor A. Newton and Dr. Sclater, who 

 urged me to undertake a general review of the geographical 

 distribution of animals, and after a little discussion of the 

 subject I came to the conclusion that I might perhaps be 

 able to do it; although, if I had been aware of the difficulties 

 of the task I should probably not have undertaken it. 



As this was the largest and perhaps the most important 

 scientific work I have done, I may perhaps be allowed here 

 to say a few words as to its design and execution. I had 

 already, in several of my papers and articles, explained my 

 general views of the purport and scope of geographical dis- 

 tribution as a distinct branch of biological science. I had 

 accepted and supported Dr. P. L. Sclater's division of the 

 earth's surface into six great zoological regions, founded upon 

 a detailed examination of the distribution of birds, but equally 

 applicable to mammalia, reptiles, and several other great 

 divisions, and best serving to illustrate and explain the diversi- 

 ties and apparent contradictions in the distribution of all land 

 animals ; and I may now add that the additional facts accumu- 

 lated, and the various divisions suggested during the thirty 

 years that have since elapsed, have not in the least altered my 

 opinions on this matter. 



In whatever work I have done I have always aimed at 

 systematic arrangement and uniformity of treatment through- 

 out. But here the immense extent of the subject, the over- 

 whelming mass of detail, and above all the excessive diversi- 



