PUBLISHER'S NOTE 



THIS book contains the last words of the great naturalist 

 who through the power of his love reveals the beauty of 

 things animate and inanimate in the world in which he lived 

 such a long, full, ecstatic life, in spite of the sadness and 

 loneliness that were always his. 



The publishers, who have enjoyed his friendship for many 

 years, would wish to join with those who knew the man and 

 his work in offering homage to his memory. " He fell on 

 sleep," August i8th, 1922. 



The author before his death handed to us the full manu- 

 script of the book with the exception of the last chapter, 

 which he said wanted a little revision. Part of this was in 

 clear typescript, but the last few pages, amounting to some 

 two thousand words, were in his handwriting and exceedingly 

 difficult to decipher. We wish to put on record our thanks 

 to his old friend Mr. Morley Roberts for the loving, patient 

 care which he gave to the work of interpretation, in which he 

 has succeeded in making plain the closing pages of the book, 

 and also to Mr. Charles Lee for his valuable assistance in 

 seeing the book through the press. 



