PREFACE. 



A QUARTER of a century ago I published a work 

 on " The Curiosities of Animal Food," based chiefly on 

 a Lecture I had delivered at a Literary Institution. 

 Although the volume merely dealt cursorily with the 

 wide subject in a popular point of view, it was favour- 

 ably received and much quoted by various eminent 

 scientific authors, writing on the Food question. That 

 book has, like many of my other works, long been out 

 of print. 



The subject, however, of the Animal Food supply 

 has since then risen into great importance. Having 

 given much attention to this matter, I have endeavoured 

 to condense into the present volume a large amount of 

 practical and useful information not generally accessible, 

 combined at the same time with some pleasant reading. 



P. L. SIMMONDS. 



85, FiNBOROUGH Road, 



South Kensington. 

 February, 1885. 



