﻿PEEFACE. 
  

  

  Notwithstanding 
  the 
  great 
  progress 
  attained 
  in 
  our 
  

   knowledge 
  of 
  European 
  Batrachians 
  within 
  the 
  last 
  

   twenty 
  years 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  distinction 
  of 
  species 
  

   and 
  varieties, 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  their 
  anatomy, 
  life-histories, 
  

   and 
  distribution, 
  there 
  exists 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  day 
  no 
  

   work 
  dealing 
  with 
  them 
  as 
  a 
  whole 
  from 
  these 
  different 
  

   aspects. 
  

  

  For 
  twenty-five 
  years 
  a 
  close 
  student 
  and 
  collector 
  

   of 
  these 
  animals, 
  which 
  have 
  always 
  exercised 
  an 
  

   extraordinary 
  fascination 
  on 
  my 
  mind, 
  I 
  have 
  often 
  

   wished 
  for 
  an 
  opportunity 
  of 
  supplying 
  such 
  a 
  de- 
  

   sideratum, 
  by 
  utilising 
  the 
  enormous 
  material 
  which 
  

   had 
  gradually 
  accumulated 
  in 
  the 
  literature, 
  my 
  own 
  

   notes, 
  and 
  the 
  unrivalled 
  collection 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  

   Museum. 
  

  

  Thanks 
  to 
  the 
  Council 
  of 
  the 
  Eay 
  Society, 
  who, 
  on 
  

   the 
  special 
  recommendation 
  of 
  Sir 
  W. 
  H. 
  Flower, 
  

   acceded 
  to 
  my 
  request, 
  I 
  have 
  at 
  last 
  the 
  satisfaction 
  

   of 
  seeing 
  my 
  hopes 
  realised, 
  and, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  talent 
  

   of 
  my 
  artistic 
  collaborators, 
  Messrs. 
  P. 
  J. 
  Smit 
  and 
  

   J. 
  Green, 
  in 
  a 
  manner 
  which 
  fully 
  satisfies 
  my 
  aspira- 
  

   tions. 
  May 
  those, 
  few 
  as 
  they 
  still 
  are, 
  who 
  share 
  

   my 
  fondness 
  for 
  this 
  group 
  of 
  animals 
  endorse 
  my 
  

   opinion 
  of 
  the 
  beautiful 
  and 
  accurate 
  illustrations 
  

   which 
  are 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  principal 
  features 
  of 
  this 
  work, 
  

  

  