fib 
Wn 
\JM 
PREFACE. 
In the will of the late William Thompson, Esq., of Belfast, the 
following paragraph occurs : — 
“ In the event of my decease before the publication of my work 
on the Natural History of Ireland shall have been completed, it 
is my wish, and I hereby direct, that the entire of my manuscript 
relating thereto shall be handed over to Mr. Robert Patterson and 
Mr. James R. Garrett, both of Belfast, with a request that they 
will undertake the duties of superintending editors of same, in 
order that the whole may be carefully published.” 
Shortly after Mr. Thompson’s death (February 17, 1852) his 
papers were, in conformity with these directions, delivered to my 
friend the late Mr. Garrett and myself. 
On examining the mass of papers thus placed in our hands, we 
found those relating to the principal divisions of the animal 
kingdom carefully separated from each other, and the materials for 
each of the minor groups in separate covers. Within these, smaller 
envelopes were placed, each appropriated to one species. So far 
nothing could be more methodical or more complete — the families, 
genera, and species were arranged in regular sequence, and of 
course, any particular one could immediately be found. 
But on opening one of these envelopes the idea of completeness 
was dissipated ; instead of the building itself, there were only the 
materials with which it would have been constructed, had the life 
of the architect been spared to finish what he had so well begun. 
The envelopes contained notes made at various times, letters, or 
extracts from letters, references to his personal journals or to his 
published papers, to books, to scientific periodicals, or to the 
transactions of societies. In some instances there were also 
memoranda for his own guidance, with regard to fishes, indicating 
the manner in which he intended to treat the subject. 
