CHAPTER I Apes and Gibbons 1
II Baboons 7
III The American Monkeys and the Lemurs 16
IV The Bats 26
V The Insect-Eaters 33
VI The Larger Cats 47
VII The Smaller Cats 60
VIII The Civets, the Aard-Wolf, and the Hyenas 68
IX The Dog Tribe 78
X The Weasel Tribe 91
XI The Bear Tribe 102
XII The Seal Tribe 113
XIII The Whale Tribe 121
XIV The Rodent Animals 136
XV The Wild Oxen 157
XVI Giraffes, Deer, Camels, Zebras, Asses, and Horses 179
XVII The Elephants, Rhinoceroses, Hippopotamuses, and Wild Swine 201
XVIII Edentates, or Toothless Mammals 212
XIX The Marsupials 218
XX Birds of Prey 232
XXI Cuckoos, Nightjars, Humming-Birds, Woodpeckers, and Toucans 243
XXII Crows, Birds of Paradise, and Finches 254
XXIII Wagtails, Shrikes, Thrushes, etc. 263
XXIV Parrots, Pigeons, Pea-Fowl, Pheasants, etc. 273
XXV Ostriches, Herons, Cranes, Ibises, etc. 281
XXVI Swimming Birds 291
XXVII Tortoises, Turtles, and Lizards 299
XXVIII Snakes 311
XXIX Amphibians 321
XXX Fresh-water Fishes 326
XXXI Salt-water Fishes 337
XXXII Insects 354
XXXIII Insects (_continued_) 369
XXXIV Spiders and Scorpions 387
XXXV Crustaceans 397
XXXVI Sea-Urchins, Starfishes, and Sea-Cucumbers 409
XXXVII Mollusks 414
XXXVIII Annelids and Coelenterates 427
Walks with a Naturalist 437
Nature-study at the Seaside 457
Our Wicked Waste of Life 487
INDEX 497
(_Much of the material in this volume is published by permission of E. P. Dutton & Company, New York City, owners of American rights._)
ILLUSTRATIONS
TROPICAL AMERICAN HUMMING-BIRDS _Frontispiece_
FACING PAGE
TYPES OF APES AND MONKEYS 6
PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS OF MONKEYS 16
FOUR GREAT CATS 48
SOME FIERCE CATS 64
A WOLFISH GROUP 80
TYPES OF FUR-BEARERS 96
TYPES OF BEARS 128
TYPES OF RODENTS 144
FOUR TYPES OF CATTLE 156
WILD SHEEP AND GOATS 164
GOATS AND GOAT-ANTELOPES 166
TYPES OF ANTELOPES 176
THE ANTLERED DEER 184
CHILDREN'S PETS AT THE ZOO 189
WILD RELATIVES OF THE HORSE 196
PACHYDERMS AND TAPIR 206
TYPES OF MARSUPIALS 220
TYPICAL BIRDS OF PREY 232
FOUR HANDSOME BIRDS 253
FINCHES AND WEAVER-BIRDS 262
AMERICAN INSECT-EATING SONG-BIRDS 272
GAUDY TROPICAL BIRDS 276
AMERICAN GAME-BIRDS 280
FOUR GREAT GAME-BIRDS 280
AMERICAN WADING BIRDS 298
TYPES OF WATER-BIRDS 298
CHARACTERISTIC FORMS AND MARKINGS OF AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS 298
NORTH AMERICAN FOOD AND GAME FISHES 336
INSECTS INJURIOUS TO AMERICAN MAPLE-TREES 368
LEAF-EATING INSECTS OF SHADE-TREES 386
LIFE ON THE SEA-BOTTOM 413
NORTH AMERICAN SEED-EATING SONG-BIRDS 442
CHICKADEE AND WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH 456
INTRODUCTION
This volume is a sketch of the animal life of the whole world. More than a sketch it could not be in the space at the author's command; but he has so skilfully selected his examples to illustrate both the natural groups and the faunas which they represent, that his work forms a most commendable ground-plan for the study of natural history.
Few writers have been so successful in handling this subject. His style is singularly attractive to the young readers whom he has in view; yet he does not depart from accuracy, nor exaggerate with false emphasis some unusual phase of an animal's character, which is the fault of many who try to "popularize" zoölogy.
One may feel confident, therefore, that the boy or girl who opens this volume will enjoy it and profit by it. The sketch dwells on the animals most often to be seen in nature, or in menageries, or read of in books of travel and adventure, and will thus serve as a valuable reference aid in such reading. But it will, and ought to, do more. It will arouse anew that interest in the creatures about us which is as natural as breath to every youngster, but is too rarely fostered by parents and teachers.
Nothing is more valuable in the foundation of an education than the faculty and habit of observation--the power of noting understandingly, or at least inquiringly, what happens within our sight and hearing. To go about with one's eyes half shut, content to see the curtain and never curious to look at the play on nature's stage behind it, is to miss a very large part of the possible pleasure in life. That his child should not suffer this loss ought to be the concern of every parent.
Little more than encouragement and some opportunity is needed to preserve and cultivate this disposition and faculty. Direct a youngster's attention to some common fact of woodland life new to him, and his interest and imagination will be excited to learn more. Give him a hint of the relationship of this fact to other facts, and you have started him on a scientific search, and he has begun to train his eye and his mind without knowing it. At this point such books as this are extremely helpful, and lead to a desire for the more special treatises which happily are now everywhere accessible.
This suggestion is not made with the idea that every youngster is to become a full-fledged naturalist; but with the sense that some knowledge of nature will be a source of delight throughout life; and with the certainty that in no direction can quickness of eye and accuracy of sight and reasoning be so well and easily acquired. These are qualities which make for success in all lines of human activity, and therefore are to be regarded as among the most important to be acquired early in life.
The physical benefit of an interest in animal life, which leads to outdoor exercise, needs no argument. The mental value has been touched upon. The moral importance is in the sense of truth which nature inculcates, and the kindliness sure to follow the affectionate interest with which the young naturalist must regard all living things.
No matter what is to be their walk in life, the observing study of nature should be regarded as the corner-stone of a boy's or girl's education.
ERNEST INGERSOLL
MAMMALS