highest family of brute mammals, the simiadæ, and thence descending, through the several classes, orders, families, etc., of vertebrates, to the mollusks, crustaceans, and insects.* It is hoped that this book may be serviceable to young inquiring minds (the elevation of whose apprehension is in too many cases underrated), and that to some at least it may be a prompting to read further in "Nature's infinite Book of secrecy," and follow star-eyed Science up her radiant height. * As a matter of fact, the order and sequence of the natural-history readings in this book are precisely those of Wood, whose great work follows the order of the Catalogue of the British Museum. WEBSTERIAN MARKS USED IN THIS BOOK. -ă, e, i, o, u, ÿ, long; ǎ, ě, Ĭ, Ŏ, u, y, short; fär; fall; rude; e as in term; I as in firm; oo as in food; oo as in foot; ç as s; e, eh, as k; g as j; g as in get; n as in linger; § as z; as gz. |