0 THE STUDY OF ANIMAL LIFE BY J. ARTHUR THOMSON, M.A., LL.D. REGIUS PROFESSOR OF NATURAL HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN; " AUTHOR OF HEREDITY, ""THE BIOLOGY OF THE SEASONS," "THE WONDER OF LIFE, ETC.; JOINT AUTHOR OF "THE EVOLUTION OF SEX," "EVOLUTION," "SEX," ETC. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS REVISED EDITION NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 597-599 FIFTH AVENUE PREFACE FOR about a quarter of a century this book-now revised —has had an apparently useful life as an introduction to zoological science. Its plan is simple: (a) It begins with the everyday life of animals, their haunts, their inter-relations, their struggles, their industries, their family life, their behaviour, and their internal activities. (b) The second aspect considered is that of structurethe multitudinous forms of animal life and their architecture. (c) The third part has to do with the continuance of the race and with life-histories. (d) Finally, the facts and problems of evolution are illustrated. The four parts of the book correspond broadly to Physiology, Morphology, Embryology, and Etiology, but there has been no punctilious observation of boundarylines. The four parts of the book will appeal to students of different tastes. For some are most interested in habits and functions, others in form and structure, others in development and life-history, and others in the general problems of evolution. Each of these aspects has its own interest, and the student should begin with the one which most attracts him. But all must be taken into account if we are to get an all-round view of animal life. UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN, 1916. J. A. T. |