PKEFACE. 



The present work is intended to provide students of com- 

 parative anatomy with a condensed statement of the most 

 important facts relating to the structure of vertebrated 

 animals, which have hitherto been ascertained. Except in 

 a very few cases, I have intentionally abstained from bur- 

 dening the text with references ; and, therefore, the readei", 

 while he is justly entitled to hold me responsible for any 

 errors he may detect, will do well to give me no credit for 

 what may seem original, unless his knowledge is sufficient 

 to render him a competent judge on that head. 



About two-thirds of the illustrations are original, the 

 rest * are copied from figures given by Agassiz, Bischoff, 

 Burmeister, Busch, Carus, Duges, Flower, Gegenbaur, 

 Hyrtl, Von Meyer, MiiUer, Pander and D'Alton, Parker, 

 Quatref ages, and Traquair. 



A considerable portion of the book has been in type for 



* Namely, Figures 1, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 23, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 

 36, 39, 41, 42, 46, .'50, 51, 54, .55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 75, 79, 82, 101, 

 107, 108, 109, 110. 



