Ill ON ANIMAL LIFE 97 



poraries it is not too much to say that, as in 

 the case of plants, there is not one the structure, 

 habits, and life-history of which are yet fully 

 known to us. The male of the Cynips, which 

 produces the common King Charles Oak 

 Apple, has only recently been discovered, 

 those of the root-feeding Aphides, which live 

 in hundreds in every nest of the yellow 

 Meadow Ant (Lasius flavus) are still un- 

 known ; the habits and mode of reproduction 

 of the common Eel have only just been dis- 

 covered ; and we may even say generally that 

 many of the most interesting recent discover- 

 ies have relation to the commonest and most 

 familiar animals. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SMALLER ANIMALS 



Whatever pre-eminence Man may claim for 

 himself, other animals have done far more to 

 affect the face of nature. The principal 

 agents have not been the larger or more in- 

 telligent, but rather the smaller, and individ- 

 ually less important, species. Beavers may 

 have dammed up many of the rivers of Brit- 



