PUBLISHERS' NOTE 
The "Tropical Readers" are designed to interest school 
children in the familiar objects of the animal and vege- 
table kingdoms, and to foster habits of observation and 
reflection. They seek to convey, in a pleasant form, 
useful information upon plant-life, the cultivation of the 
soil, and the special treatment under which some of the 
important vegetable products of the tropics are obtained. 
In dealing with the animal kingdom types of the prin- 
cipal orders or classes are described in the First Book, 
preliminary to the elementary study of the classification 
of animals, which appears in the more advanced book. 
The Second Book includes, in addition to the subjects 
enumerated above, a section on "Health", dealing with 
foods, digestion, clothing, ventilation, and other condi- 
tions of healthy living; and a section on "Government". 
The language and diction are simple. As far as pos- 
sible difficult words have been avoided, especially in the 
first book, in order that the children may be free to fix 
attention on the facts brought under notice. Many of the 
chapters are written in dialogue — an attractive form for 
young children, and the one most helpful in securing a 
natural and expressive tone in reading. 
