PKEFACE TO THE FIKST EDITION 



Professor Wiedersheim's Grundriss der vergleichenden 

 Anatomic dcr Wirielthiere, published at Jena in 1884, was written 

 to supply a need which had been felt for some time past for a short 

 text-book on Vertebrate Anatomy embodying some of the more 

 recent views on the subject. The present book is a modified 

 translation of the Grundriss, and it is hoped that it will serve to 

 render Professor Wiedersheim's work more widely known amongst 

 English students. 



The plan of the original has been retained throughout, though 

 numerous additions and modifications have been made to the work ; 

 for many of these I have to thank Professor Wiedersheim, — for 

 others I am myself responsible. I must also express my 

 indebtedness to Professor Wiedersheim for revising the whole 

 translation with me last summer, and for much help while the 

 work was in progress. 



Within the limits of a short text-book like the present, much 

 of the matter is of necessity greatly condensed : more detailed 

 accounts of the various parts and organs will be found in the new 

 edition of Professor Wiedersheim's Lehrbuch der vcrgl. Anatomie 

 der WirbeWiiere, which is to appear shortly, and on the first edition 

 of which the Grundriss was founded. 



