PREFACE. 
vii 
different persons or at different times, should when practicable be 
brought together, and their union rendered less obvious by some 
changes of expression, which might impart a greater uniformity of 
style. Whatever doubts we might originally have held about 
adopting this course were dissipated by a memorandum in Mr. 
Thompson’s own handwriting, which we found attached to some 
of his calculations as to the space the materials collected for the 
“ Natural History of Ireland ” would occupy. It was dated July, 
1849, and was in the following words : — “ Should I die before 
these volumes are prepared for the press, it is my express desire 
that none of my notes be printed without having undergone rigid 
correction. I have always written so hastily and carelessly.” 
These preliminaries being arranged, Mr. G-arrett took under his 
charge all notes relating to Mammalia, Beptiles, and Pishes. 
To me was allotted the duty of examining all Mr. Thompson’s 
journals and letters, of extracting from the diary of his con- 
tinental tours and his visit to the JSgean what seemed of general 
interest, with a view to determine whether such materials should 
be embodied in a memoir of his life, or whether such memoir should 
be restricted to the brief and simple form in which it now appears. 
On me also devolved the incidental correspondence which arose in 
the progress of the work. At a later period we applied to Pro- 
fessor Dickie, of Queen’s College, Belfast, for his valuable assist- 
ance in the remaining (Invertebrate) portion of the volume. It 
was cheerfully promised, and, after due examination of the materials 
placed in his hands, Dr. Dickie undertook to do in that depart- 
ment what Mr. G-arrett was doing for the other ; his only stipula- 
tion was that we should render all possible aid in those local 
names and references with which he, as a stranger, could not be 
expected to be familiar. 
Throughout Mr. Thompson’s notes, extracts from Dr. Ball’s 
letters and references to him were of frequent occurrence. Mr. 
G-arrett and I were desirous, after some progress had been made 
in the work, of submitting to that gentleman what had been done, 
so that we might feel assured that his meaning had in all cases 
been correctly rendered, and also that our mode of dealing with 
the detached memoranda met his approval. This was done, and 
the remainder of the manuscript afterwards sent to him for 
revision. # 
* As Dr. Ball’s name was of frequent occurrence in Mr. Thompson^ MSS., 
