PREFACE. 



The First Edition of this Guide was issued, without 

 illustrations, on the 19th April, 1881 ; the second in 1882, 

 illustrated with thirty-one wood engravings ; a third, slightly 

 altered, appeared in 1884. A foivrth Edition, almost wholly 

 re-written, with many fresh illustrations, appeared in 1886, 

 and a fifth, with only a few alterations, in 1888. The sixth 

 Edition appeared in April, 1890, and 3,000 copies were sold up 

 to October, 1895. Of these six editions, altogether 18,000 

 copies have been issued. 



The publication of Mr. R. Lydekker's Museum Catalogues 

 of the " Fossil Mammalia," Parts I-Y. (1885-87), and "Fossil 

 Birds " (1891), and the numerous additions made to the 

 exhibited series of specimens have necessitated the re-arrange- 

 ment of a great part of these Collections, and also changed the 

 plan of the Guide. 



The writer is largely indebted to the authors of Nicholson's 

 and Lydekker*s " Palaeontology " (Vol. II., " Vertebrata," by 

 Pi. Lydekker), from which numerous notes and extracts have 

 been made in the compilation of this Guide. The Director, 

 .Sir "William Flower, has kindly read the sheets and made 

 valuable suggestions and emendations. The Members of the 

 Staff of the Department have also obligingly assisted in the 

 preparation of the work. 



HENRY WOODWARD. 



Department of Geology, 

 8th April, 1896. 



