PREFACE 



IT is unnecessary to say much by way of Preface to the present 

 volume, the series' of popular handbooks of which it forms part 

 being so widely known to Nature-lovers. The same methods 

 of treatment that were followed in the previous volumes have 

 been pursued here, though the smaller number of species 

 falling within its scope has allowed a fuller consideration of 

 each, 



With the exception of the birds (dealt with in Mr. Coward's 

 companion volumes), all the terrestrial animals endowed with 

 a bony framework are included. There are, indeed, a few 

 other native mammals that might have been described ; but as 

 they are restricted to the sea it was felt to be undesirable to 

 include their life-histories in the "Wayside and Woodland 

 Series." 



The Author and Publishers desire to express their thanks to 

 the undermentioned naturalist photographers who have con- 

 tributed their admirable work for reproduction, viz. : Mr. 

 Douglas English, F.Z.S., for Plates i, 5, 6, 10, n, 12, 14, 15, 

 17, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 37 to 41, 46, 47, 48, 50, 53 to 62, 65, 66, 

 6 9> 70, 71, 75 8 4> 89, 90, 93, 96, 97, 98, 101, 103, 104, 105, and 

 the lower photograph on Plate 109. To Mr. Oxley Grabham 



47 V 6009 



