Preface 



This little work of "Private and Personal Observations and Remin- 

 iscenses" is dedicated to all friends of Nature, and to San Antonians 

 in particular. It is not pretended to be a strictly .scientific work, 

 though based on scientific principles, but more a popular and res- 

 ponsible treatise on Nature observations around San Antonio, the most up- 

 to-date and metropolitan city of Texas; with over 100,000 inhabitants, 

 with unexcelled climate, sanitary surroundings, artesian water supply; sew- 

 erage 'System, unmatched public utilities, superb city parks and amuse- 

 ment ."resorts, up-to-date public buildings, a world-famed military post, 

 and last but not least, unequaled historic reminiscenses. It is a treatise 

 on insect and animal life, and some outing and hunting reminis- 

 censes in particular; and it is nearly all a reprint of original articles pub- 

 lished lately in Texas Field and National Guardsman, of which Colonel 

 O. C. Guessaz and Louis A. Guessaz are the editors, and to whom the wri- 

 ter is indebted for many courtesies. Also is the writer indebted to the 

 San Antonio Daily Express for the loan of engravings from original pho- 

 tos by the writer, and to Mr. Albert Friedrich of San Antonio for the loan 



of the elegant halftone plates of his unexcelled collection of Texas deer 

 horns, etc. 



A work of this kind takes many years of personal and accurate obser- 

 vations and reliable original data, as well as up-to-date and original illus- 

 trations of each subject, and, in how far this has been accomplished, is 

 left to the kind judgment of the reader. 



For want of space, time and chronological data, it would be fu- 

 tile to attempt writing a detailed description of "Old San Antgnio," 

 of which only a few works exist, and among these the newest and best 

 is written by Charles Merritt Barnes, entitled "Pombats and Conquests of 

 Immortal Heroes," published by the Guessaz & Ferlet Company of San 

 Antonio, Texas (1910). It is a work of superior merit and profusely illus- 

 trated with early day scenes. 



The Authoh. 



