V1U PREFACE. 



jointed parts made by the first workmen in the king- 

 dom. The popular desire for a book, and especially for 

 a book upon Natural History, or any part of it, is nearly 

 of the same description, though, as such books are 

 neither so familiar nor so simple in their use as watches, 

 people themselves cannot express so readily, or so 

 clearly, what it is that they desire. 



It may seem to be a little vain in me to offer even a 

 tentatory example on the subject ; but my chief reason 

 for it is, that I am myself an instance of the class of 

 persons to whom my volumes are addressed. I am not 

 a naturalist in any of the common meanings of the 

 term ; but I have, for more than forty years, been an 

 admirer of nature, having found it health in' sickness, 

 and a sure anchor to the mind when the current of life 

 ran adverse or turbulent. During the whole of that 

 period I have let slip no opportunity of noticing any 

 one production or phenomenon in nature that came in 

 my way ; and during the greater part of it, my oppor- 

 tunities have been both numerous and varied. How 

 they have been improved must be judged of by others, 

 from the execution of these volumes, which are upon 

 one of my favourite subjects, where it is likely that a 

 man would, at least, try to do his best. Whatever 

 else there may have been in my experience, there is 

 certainly thus much, that I never proceeded in it upon 

 anybody's system, either with a view to the establish- 

 ment or the overthrow of any hypothesis. I looked at 

 matters just as I found them ; and when I perceived 

 that I should have to follow any subject or principle 

 into a new field, I endeavoured to explore that field, 

 however slight the connection might appear to be be- 



