LIFE AM) HER CHILDREN. 9 
history of the whole animal world ; and without some 
such clue, the few observations we can make for our- 
selves are very unsatisfactory. On the other hand, 
most people will confess that books on zoology, where 
accounts are given of the structure of different classes 
of animals, though very necessary, are rather dull, 
and do not secrn to help us much towards under- 
standing and loving these our fellow-creatures. 
What we most want to learn is something of the 
lives of the different classes of animals, so that when 
we see some creature running away from us in the 
woods, or swimming in a pond, or darting through 
the air, or creeping on the ground, we may have an 
idea what its object is in life how it is enjoying 
itself, what food it is seeking, or from what enemy 
it is flying. 
And fortunately for us there is an order and 
arrangement in this immense multitude, and in the 
same way as we can read and understand the history 
of the different nations which form the great human 
family spread over the earth, and can enter into their 
feelings and their struggles though we cannot know 
all the people themselves ; so with a little trouble we 
may learn to picture to ourselves the general life 
and habits of the different branches of the still 
greater family of Life, so as to be ready, by and by, 
to make personal acquaintance with any particular 
creature if he comes in our way. 
This is what we propose to do in the following 
chapters, and we must first consider what are the 
chief divisions of our subject, and over what ground 
we have to travel. It is clear that both plants and 
animals are the children of Life, and indeed among 
