

PREFACE. 



In the will of the late AVilliam Thompsou, Esq, of Belfast, the 

 lollowiug paragraph occurs : — 



"lu the event of my decease before the publication of my work 

 on the Natural History of Ireland shall have been completed it 

 IS my wish, and I hereby direct, that the entire of my manuscript 

 relating thereto shall be handed over to Mr. Eobert Patterson and 

 Mr James R. Garrett, both of Belfast, with a request that they 

 will undertake the duties of superintending editors of same, in 

 order that the whole may be earefullv published." 



Shortly after Mr. Thompson's deatli (February 17, 1852) his 

 papei^ were, m conformity witli these directions, delivered to my 

 Iriend the late Mr. Garrett and myself. 



On examining the mass of papers thus placed in our hands, we 

 lound those relating to the principal divisions of the animal 

 kingdom carefully separated from each other, and the materials for 

 each ot the minor groups in separate covers. Within these, smaUer 

 envelopes were placed, each appropriated to one species So far 

 nothing could be more methodical or more complete— the families, 

 genera, and species were arranged in regular sequence, and of 

 course, any particular one could immediately be found. 



But on opening one of these envelopes the idea of completeness 

 was dissipated; instead of the building itself, there were only tlie 

 materials with which it would have been constructed, had the life 

 of tlie architect been spared to finish what he had so well begun. 

 The envelopes contained notes made at various times, letters, or 

 extracts from letters, references to his personal journals or to 'his 

 published papers, to books, to scientific periodicals, or to the 

 transactions of societies. In some instances there were also 

 memoranda for his own guidance, with regard to fishes, indicating 

 the manner in which he intended to treat the subject. 



