vi SCIENCE FROM AN EASY CHAIR 



common eel, and is director of the Danish Biological 

 Laboratory. 



I also wish to draw the attention of any one who is 

 kind enough to look at this preface to one or two more 

 of my illustrations, because they are, I think, of excep- 

 tional interest, and should be looked at, at once, before 

 a decision not to read the book is made. These are the 

 prehistoric engraving of a horse's head, with rope-bridle 

 in place, on page 81 ; the drawings of the leaves of the 

 American Poison-vine and of the Virginian Creeper on 

 page 95; of the nettle-sting on page 113; of the 

 Dragon of the Hesperides on page 122 ; of the big tad- 

 poles on page 217; of the jumping bean on page 298, 

 and its moth on page 301 ; of the ant milking a green- 

 fly for its honey-dew on page 324 ; and lastly, the 

 accurate drawing on page 370 of the most ancient 

 human skull yet discovered, and the other drawings of 

 skulls (all to the scale of one-third the actual length), 

 and those of prehistoric weapons and carvings which 

 follow it. These drawings have been made from original 

 scientific memoirs, or in some cases from actual specimens, 

 for the present volume. 



E. RAY LANKESTER 



February igio 



