XVI INTRODUCTION. 



It is not ppssible that this should be otherwise. The 

 waters are crowded with . life, and it is only the com- 

 monest objects and those most frequently found, that 

 a little book of this kind can attempt to include. 



The desci-iptions of those few have been made as 

 plain as possible. The writer has seldom allowed 

 himself to "fall into poetry," although often sorely 

 tempted. The keys, or analytical tables, so freely 

 scattered through the pages have been purposely made 

 as artificial as they could be. They use the most con- 

 spicuous external characters with little regard to 

 scientific classification, and with regard to but one re- 

 sult only — to help the beginner find the name, at least 

 the generic name, of his specimen. If this is accom- 

 plished the book will have attained its purpose. The 

 method of using the keys is explained on page 67. 



Finally, to the beginners in the use of the micro- 

 scope, for whom the book has been prepared, the 

 writer would say, as has so often been already said: 

 There is no royal road. The mother-bird finds and 

 brings the food, but even the youngest nestling opens 

 its own mouth. 



