INTRODUCTORY PREFACE. 



REHM'S immortal book, " Life of Animals," is one of the most 

 fascinating works ever written upon natural history. The author 

 devoted his life to a study of animate nature, seeking out the 

 creatures in their wild state and making most intimate acquaint- 

 ance with their habits, traits and characteristics. Many years 

 were spent by him in the great forests, where he seemed to court 

 danger in order that he might arrive at knowledge of the truth. 

 The results of his studies and observations are shown in this mas- 

 terly production, which, while detailing all the facts essential to 

 scientific knowledge, clothes his narrative in descriptive details that 

 hold the attention of old and young as strongly as the most thrill- 

 ing romances. 



The new and revised edition of this work, carefully corrected 

 and brought down by the scholarly Dr. William Haacke and Pro- 

 fessor Pechuel-Loesche, the latter no less distinguished as an ex- 



^__„____^_ plorer than as a naturalist, has passed under the hands of Richard 



j^Jl^^^^ ^lgBJ^^^^^IP^ ^ Schmidtlein, the celebrated German naturalist and author, who has 



preserved in it all the rich and splendid material of the original, 

 but has omitted details and descriptions of a strictly scientific nature, the object being to furnish a 

 book for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Professor Schmidtlein, in his scholarly 

 and entertaining revision, made such changes as the progress of modern science demanded and per- 

 fected his work in a manner to call forth the highest praise from critics everywhere. 



The present edition has been translated from the German by linguists of distinction who have in 

 the happiest manner transferred to the English tongue the rich, exuberant and fascinating style of the 

 original ; while competent scholars have carefully revised the translation, making only such changes 

 as were calculated to bring it closer to the mind of the English reader. These changes are either inclosed 

 in brackets, or are set in smaller type than the body of the work. The short sketches introduced under the 

 pictures, independent of the text, are also the work of the American editors. This edition is, therefore, 

 practically a complete work brought down to date, containing substantially all the matter to be found in 

 Brehm's "Life of Animals," adapted t® meet and reach the popular taste, and rendered into Enj;lish in such 

 manner as to make it clear and intelligible to every one, the child as well as the adult, only those 

 animals being omitted which are little known and of interest to none but specialists. 



The book is designed to meet in the highest degree a great popular need, technical terms and 

 long scientific descriptions being avoided, whenever possible, and it is invaluable as a work of reference 

 and of study. It not only contains narratives of Brehm's exciting personal experiences and observa- 

 tions in forest and field, but also those of all other leading naturalists and explorers of the world, 

 whose intimate touch with animate nature inspired them to speak in words that glow with interest and 

 that thrill the reader. 



A most attractive feature of the present work is the superb illustrations, which include, with few 

 exceptions, all that are contained in Brehm's complete work, and also numerous additions designed and 

 executed at great expense and including the best efforts of the greatest artists in delineation of animal 

 life. The work of these distinguished artists, supplemented with faithful mechanical reproductions, has 

 resulted in the presentation of the various animals precisely as they appear in a state of nature, the 

 figures being of a size to enable the student to obtain a most accurate knowledge of each creature, 

 while parents and teachers can be assured that nothing is exaggerated, but that every detail is given 

 with absolute fidelity. Too frequently it is the case that children are shown mere caricatures of beasts 



