The Making of Species 
avoid technical terms, and have made a special 
point of quoting, wherever practicable, familiar 
animals as examples, in order that the work may 
make its appeal not only to the zoologist but 
to the general reader. 
It may, perhaps, be urged against us that we 
have quoted too freely from popular writings, 
including those of which we are the authors. 
Our reply to this is that the study of bionomics, 
the science of living animals, occupies so small 
a place in English scientific literature that we 
have been compelled to have recourse to popular 
works for many of our facts; and we would, 
moreover, point out that a popular work is not 
necessarily inaccurate in its information. 
In conclusion, we would warn the reader 
against the danger of confounding Inference 
with Fact. The failure to distinguish between 
the two has vitiated much of the work of the 
Wallaceian school of biologists. 
Facts are always to be accepted. Inferences 
should be scrutinised with the utmost care. 
In making our deductions, we have en- 
deavoured to act without bias. We shall, there- 
fore, welcome any new facts, be they consistent 
with, or opposed to, our inferences. 
D. D. 
FF, 
xii 
