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PREFACE. 
The OBJECT of this work is so fully given in the Title- 
page, that little more remains to be said in the Preface. 
Beginning with the simplest and most natural form 
of habitation, namely, a burrow in the ground, the work 
proceeds in the following order 2nd, those creatures 
that suspend their homes in the air; 3rd, those that are 
real builders, forming their domiciles of mud, stones, 
sticks, and similar materials ; 4th, those which make 
their habitations beneath the surface of the water, 
whether salt or fresh ; 5 th, those that live socially in 
communities ; 6th, those which are parasitic upon ani- 
mals or plants ; 7th, those which build on branches. 
The last chapter treats of miscellanea, or those habita- 
tions which could not be well classed in either of the 
preceding groups. 
In all these classes a definite order has been pre- 
served, the Mammalia having precedence, and being 
followed in regular order by the other members of the 
group. Thus, in the first few chapters, which treat of 
the Burrowers, the following system has been observed : 
First comes Man, the chief of all the mammalia, and 
