PREFACE. 
Ma aiid of 
Ip, has been ns alan in n.Prefages to the : Pealanight for on 
Editor. briefly. to,summarise;,the principal work in Natyral 
History recorded in the pages of the yolume; but the author. of 
those. pleasant, words, after long and faithful service, has. at 
: length been called away to, his, eternal rest...There canbe no, 
more appropriate Preface to this, the Thirty-fourth volume, and 
the last, with which he was connected, than. some, record of,a 
; long, life heartily deyoted to the cause of Nature. . , 
t Epwarp Newman, was born at Hampstead.on the 13th of May,, 
1801., His ancestors became members of the Society of Friends 
at the rise of, that.sect. in 1646, and.several of, them suffered 
imprisonment on account of their faith, yet, they have, always, 
remained, stedfast to, their. tenets. His, parents,, George. and, 
Ann Newman,,had four children, .all sons, of whom, Edward, 
was the eldest,...Both father and.mother had a taste for Natural 
History, and early inculcated it in, their. children... One. of, his 
brothers. writes :—‘‘ Edward's, love, for Natural History was 
born with, lim,,and.this natural taste was, fostered by both. 
parents. , Our, father, encouraged ns, by, daily, conversation to 
observe all, natural objects: he knew the notes of all the birds of 
the(district,,and imparted the knowledge to, his children. I well 
remember,him telling us at the.breakfast-table that,that, morn- 
ing he-had-heard,the chifichaff for the first time that. year, or 
seen the whitethroat ;.and we, used to record such eyents in our. 
little, note-beoks,,,, White's ‘ Natural History of; Selborne’ was, 
the, beloved hook of : the family ; that and ‘ Bewick’s Birds’, were 
etek ee- 
all the wild-plants as they came into, blossom, and encouraged 
us to,eollectand study them.’’, To these books may be added 
‘Bingley's, Quadrupeds,’ which, was also. gregt favourite... He, 
himself writes ;-—‘‘1.had ,a, very, ,very, early predilection, for 
butterflies; I may say even from my nurge’s arms.” And, 
