The following notes were originally wiitten in the years 1867 — 72, 

 only for proper use, as, when essaying from the litterature to get guidance 

 to the knowledge of animals A^ery often met with within my countiy, I found 

 that, with except of the leeches, the now enumerated animals were but 

 very little taken notice of by natui'alists in the noiihem coantries during 

 GUI" century. 



Having thus commenced I by little and httle contuiued from sources 

 accessible to me, to gather contributions to the knowledge of the geographi- 

 cal distribution of those animals, especially in the middle and north of Europe. 



The notes by degrees iia\nng increased to their present extent and 

 as I no longer could find ability to bestow time on such, sideways fi'om my 

 proper functions lieng researches, I wished at least to interest young natu- 

 ralists of my countiy for those animals ; and for this purpose I added the 

 diagnoses, which for the most part are boiTowed from previous authors. 



Meanwhile the notes would probably have been reposited for ever, 

 had not the Fisheiy-Exhibition at St. Petersborough given impulse again to 

 take up the last mentioned thought. 



The notes thence appear without every pretention and I only wish 

 the benevolent reader may not apply on their author the words which 

 Groethe's Faust once was crieng out about "Wagner: 



Wie doch. dem Kopf nieht jede Hoffnmig schwindet, 

 Der lebenlang am schalen Zeuge klebt, 

 Mit gier'ger Hand nach Schatzen grabt. 

 Und froh ist, weun er Regeu-wiirmer findet. 



