PBEFACE. 



different persons or at different times, should when practicable be 

 brought together, and their union rendered less obvious by some 

 changes of expression, which might impart a greater imiformity of 

 style. Whatever doubts we might originally have held about 

 adopting this course were dissipated by a memorandum in Mr, 

 Thompson's own handwriting, which we found attached to some 

 of his calculations as to the space the materials collected for the 

 " Natural History of Ireland " woidd occupy. It was dated July, 

 1849, and was in the following words :— " Should I die before 

 these volumes are prepared for the press, it is my express desire 

 that none of my notes be printed without having undergone rigid 

 correction. I have always written so hastily and carelessly." 



These preliminaries being arranged, Mr. Garrett took under his 

 charge all notes relating to Mammalia, Eeptiles, and Fislies. 

 To me was allotted the duty of examining all Mr. Thompson's 

 journals and letters, of extracting from the diary of his con- 

 tinental tours and his visit to the Mgemx what seemed of general 

 interest, with a view to determine whether such materials shoidd 

 be embodied in a memoir of his life, or whether such memoir should 

 be restricted to the brief and simple form in which it now appears. 

 On me also devolved the incidental correspondence which arose in 

 the progress of the work. At a later period we applied to Pro- 

 fessor Dickie, of Queen's College, Belfast, for his valuable assist- 

 ance in the remaining (Invertebrate) portion of the volume. It 

 was cheerfully promised, and, after due examination of the materials 

 placed in his hands. Dr. Dickie undertook to do in that depart- 

 ment what Mr. G-arrett was doing for the other ; his only stipula- 

 tion was that we should render all possible aid in those local 

 names and references with which he, as a stranger, could not be 

 expected to be familiar. 



Throughout Mr. Thompson's notes, extracts from Dr. Ball's 

 letters and references to him were of frequent occurrence. Mr. 

 G-arrett and I were desirous, after some progress had been made 

 in the work, of submitting to that gentleman what had been done, 

 so that we might feel assured that his meaning had in all cases 

 been correctly rendered, and also that our mode of dealing with 

 the detached memoranda met his approval. This was done, and 

 the remainder of the manuscript afterwards sent to him for 

 revision.* 



* As Dr. Ball's name was of frequent occurrence in Mr. Thompson's MSS., 



