THE PLAY OF ANIMALS {continued). 
THE AUTHOR IN HIS PREFACE SAYS: 
“Animal Psychology is regarded by many, somewhat con- 
temptuously, as a sort of amusement, from which nothing worth 
speaking of can be expected for the advancement of our modern 
science of the mind. I do not believe this. In the first place, 
it is quite wrong to judge animal psychology mainly from its 
value for the interpretation of the mind of man, making second- 
ary the independent interest to which it lays claim. Yet, apart 
from this, such a study is valuable to the anthropologist in many 
ways, though it must be admitted that but little has as yet been 
accomplished in this direction. Unfortunately, many of the 
works hitherto published on the subject of Animal Psychology 
labour under the disadvantage of being strongly biassed, and 
suffer also from lack of method. 
“ There are few scientific works in the field of human play — a 
fact to be accounted for, probably, by the inherent difficulties of 
the subject, both objective and subjective. The animal psychol- 
ogist must harbour in his breast not only two souls, but more : 
he must unite with a thorough training in physiology, psychol- 
ogy, and biology, the experience of a traveller, the practical 
knowledge of the director of a zoological garden, and the outdoor 
love of a forester ; and even then he could not round up his 
labours satisfactorily unless he were familiar with the trend of 
modern aesthetics.” 
Professor Groos’s book, “ FLAY OF AlYIMAL^^^ is 
the first work written exclusively on the subject from these 
points of view, and will be found of great value scientifically as 
well as theoretically. The author seeks to establish the concep- 
tion of play on a basis of natural science ; to develop a system 
of animal play for the first time on the biological theory as a 
basis ; to treat of the psychological aspects of play, and to in- 
vestigate the more subtle psychic phenomenon that is connected 
with the subject, namely, “make-believe” or “conscious self- 
illusion.” 
Professor Baldwin, who edits this translation of the volume, 
says : “ Professor Groos makes a contribution to three distinct 
but cognate departments of inquiry : philosophical biology, 
animal pyschology, and the genetic study of art. Those who 
have followed the beginnings of inquiry into the nature and 
functions of play in the animal world and in children will see 
at once how much light is to be expected from a thorough-going 
examination of all the facts and observations recorded in the 
literature of animal life. This sort of examination Professor 
Groos makes with great care and thoroughness, and the result 
is a book which, in my opinion, is destined to have wide influ- 
ence in all these departments of inquiry. It is a pioneer work, 
and one of great permanent value. 
CHAPMAN & HALL, Limited, LONDON. 
