PREFACE.
This little Volume of Natural History has been prepared to fill a long-felt want. As a child the author was especially interested in the study of animals, but met with the usual drawback—nothing could be found in classified form to meet the requirements of young people, not yet old enough to take up a college course of study. Natural Histories abounded in every form and in every language, there were scientific works in plenty, and numerous books for children, from the fairy tales founded on animal life to the usual descriptive matter accompanying profuse illustrations in childish books; but nothing could be found in which the Mammals, Birds and Fishes, were carefully classified and arranged in the proper families, and the whole in words of easy reading—discarding unnecessary scientific words and phrases, and carefully explaining the necessary ones. It was not until later in school life, when a certain knowledge of Greek and Latin became necessary in the college-preparatory course that these scientific works could be really enjoyed. And the author of this little volume—who was then preparing her first literary efforts in the intervals of school work—resolved that one of her earliest books should be a carefully arranged Natural History for Young People, in which all the desires of her own childhood should be realized.
The immensity of the labor involved in preparing such a work did not become apparent until once seriously commenced, and French, German, Greek and Latin dictionaries were called into requisition in order that every scientific word and classification might be carefully explained. The best authorities among ancient and modern naturalists have been consulted; Goldsmith, Jones, Figuier and Brehm have been quoted, and other English, French and German works, studied and compared. And although this has been delayed, because of the tedious work required, and other books for young people, by the same author have been allowed to precede it, this is finished in time to meet the demands of the small son of her household, who has reached the age so aptly described by the well-worn phrase, “An animated interrogation point”—especially in the direction of Natural History. And filling as it does, the demands of one, may it meet the desires of the many mothers of inquiring sons and daughters, and the young people who are eager for such a work, that is accurate, readable and interesting, and fully up to the present condition of modern science.
A FAMILY OF TIGERS.
A FAMILY OF TIGERS.
A FAMILY OF TIGERS.