PREFACE. - Vll 



It was in sight of the sea, on the magnificent 

 beach of Treport, that I wrote this book, as a 

 relaxation during a vacation ; and notwithstanding 

 its elementary character, I thought it only right 

 to place my name on its title-page. 



One of my learned colleagues at the Academy 

 of Sciences lately brought out a similar work, 

 but under a fictitious name. The next day every- 

 body knew who the author was. Besides, if a 

 work is not worthy of bearing the author's name, 

 it is not fit to see the light ; and when an author 

 consents to publish, it is because he believes his 

 work to be useful, and therefore he ought not to 

 be afraid of placing his name upon it. Hence I 

 have done so. 



Natural history is conveyed to the mind by a 

 succession of pictures, and I have therefore in 

 this work endeavoured to represent pictorially as 

 many objects as possible. 



The Publisher, who has shrunk from no out- 

 lay, has for this purpose placed at my disposal 

 artists of the highest merit, in whose co-operation 

 I have been very fortunate. I have especially 

 to thank M. Faguet, assistant naturalist at the 

 Sorbonne, who, being at once an accomplished 

 botanist and an excellent draughtsman, has given 

 quite a special character to the drawings of the 



