PREFACE 



This work is a sequel to the two former books, " The 

 Great Deserts and Forests of North America," and " The 

 Great Mountains and Forests of South America," and is 

 the last of the series. 



I have endeavoured to make the present work as 

 perfect as possible, and pleasing to the scientific as well 

 as to the general reader. There are few animals of any 

 class mentioned or described herein, unless I was in a posi- 

 tion to give their specific name. I have thus endeavoured 

 to make the book of as much value as I could to the 

 professional naturalist, and have striven to avoid giving 

 him offence. But on this matter I have my own know- 

 ledge (I do not say opinions, for they are not mere 

 opinions), and I have not endeavoured, as too many 

 modern writers have done, to make my facts fit the fads 

 of the present generation of naturalists. 



In the early part of my career I had the advantage 

 of hearing, from his own lips, the peculiar views of 

 Mr. Darwin. Darwin was so amiable a man, and of so sfreat 

 an intellect, that I never think of him without feelings of 

 reverence ; but I am not one of his converts. Evolution, 

 the descent of man, natural selection, are for the arm- 

 chair naturalist ; not that I wish to sneer. I am not a 

 man of that sort. But I have seen and learned for 

 myself; therefore, if occasionally I do not agree with 

 received opinions, I trust it will be remembered by the 

 reader that I am only stating my own convictions. 



I think there is more of personal matter in this than 

 in either of the two former books. I hope it will be 

 found of an interesting nature ; at any rate the queer 



