authors　whose　works　I　then　recommended。　　I　recommend　them　still；
  though　a　swarm　of　other　manuals　and　popular　works　have　appeared
  since；　excellent　in　their　way；　and　almost　beyond　counting。　　But　all
  honour　to　those；　and　above　all　to　Mr。　Gosse　and　Mr。　Johns；　who
  first　opened　people's　eyes　to　the　wonders　around　them　all　day　long。
  Now；　we　have；　in　addition　to　amusing　books　on　special　subjects；
  serials　on　Natural　History　more　or　less　profound；　and　suited　to
  every　kind　of　student　and　every　grade　of　knowledge。　　I　mention　the
  names　of　none。　　For　first；　they　happily　need　no　advertisement　from
  me；　and　next；　I　fear　to　be　unjust　to　any　one　of　them　by
  inadvertently　omitting　its　name。　　Let　me　add；　that　in　the
  advertising　columns　of　those　serials；　will　be　found　notices　of　all
  the　new　manuals；　and　of　all　apparatus；　and　other　matters；　needed　by
  amateur　naturalists；　and　of　many　who　are　more　than　amateurs。
  Microscopy；　meanwhile；　and　the　whole　study　of　〃The　Wonders　of　the
  Little；〃　have　made　vast　strides　in　the　last　twenty　years；　and　I　was
  equally　surprised　and　pleased；　to　find；　three　years　ago；　in　each　of
  two　towns　of　a　few　thousand　inhabitants；　perhaps　a　dozen　good
  microscopes；　all　but　hidden　away　from　the　public；　worked　by　men　who
  knew　how　to　handle　them；　and　who　knew　what　they　were　looking　at；
  but　who　modestly　refrained　from　telling　anybody　what　they　were
  doing　so　well。　　And　it　was　this　very　discovery　of　unsuspected
  microscopists　which　made　me　more　desirous　than　ever　to　see　…　as　I
  see　now　in　many　places　…　scientific　societies；　by　means　of　which
  the　few；　who　otherwise　would　work　apart；　may　communicate　their
  knowledge　to　each　other；　and　to　the　many。　　These　〃Microscopic；〃
  〃Naturalist；〃　〃Geological；〃　or　other　societies；　and　the　〃Field
  Clubs〃　for　excursions　into　the　country；　which　are　usually　connected
  with　them；　form　a　most　pleasant　and　hopeful　new　feature　in　English
  Society；　bringing　together；　as　they　do；　almost　all　ranks；　all
  shades　of　opinion；　and　it　has　given　me　deep　pleasure　to　see；　in　the
  case　at　least　of　the　Country　Clubs　with　which　I　am　acquainted；　the
  clergy　of　the　Church　of　England　taking　an　active；　and　often　a
  leading；　interest　in　their　practical　work。　　The　town　clergy　are；
  for　the　most　part；　too　utterly　overworked　to　follow　the　example　of
  their　country　brethren。　　But　I　have　reason　to　know　that　they　regard
  such　societies；　and　Natural　History　in　general；　with　no　unfriendly
  eyes；　and　that　there　is　less　fear　than　ever　that　the　clergy　of　the
  Church　of　England　should　have　to　relinquish　their　ancient　boast　…
  that　since　the　formation　of　the　Royal　Society　in　the　seventeenth
  century；　they　have　done　more　for　sound　physical　science　than　any
  other　priesthood　or　ministry　in　the　world。　　Let　me　advise　anyone
  who　may　do　me　the　honour　of　reading　these　pages；　to　discover
  whether　such　a　Club　or　Society　exists　in　his　neighbourhood；　and　to
  join　it　forthwith；　certain　that　…　if　his　experience　be　at　all　like
  mine　…　he　will　gain　most　pleasant　information　and　most　pleasant
  acquaintances；　and　pass　most　pleasant　days　and　evenings；　among
  people　whom　he　will　be　glad　to　know；　and　whom　he　never　would　have
  known　save　for　the　new　…　and　now；　I　hope；　rapidly　spreading　…
  freemasonry　of　Natural　History。
  Meanwhile；　I　hope　…　though　I　dare　not　say　I　trust　…　to　see　the　day
  when　the　boys　of　each　of　our　large　schools　shall　join　…　like　those
  of　Marlborough　and　Clifton　…　the　same　freemasonry；　and　have　their
  own　Naturalists'　Clubs；　nay　more；　when　our　public　schools　and
  universities　shall　awake　to　the　real　needs　of　the　age；　and　…　even
  to　the　curtailing　of　the　time　usually　spent　in　not　learning　Latin
  and　Greek　…　teach　boys　the　rudiments　at　least　of　botany；　zoology；
  geology；　and　so　forth；　and　when　the　public　opinion；　at　least　of　the
  refined　and　educated；　shall　consider　it　as　ludicrous　…　to　use　no
  stronger　word　…　to　be　ignorant　of　the　commonest　facts　and　laws　of
  this　living　planet；　as　to　be　ignorant　of　the　rudiments　of　two　dead
  languages。　　All　honour　to　the　said　two　languages。　　Ignorance　of
  them　is　a　serious　weakness；　for　it　implies　ignorance　of　many　things
  else；　and　indeed；　without　some　knowledge　of　them；　the　nomenclature
  of　the　physical　sciences　cannot　be　mastered。　　But　I　have　got　to
  discover　that　a　boy's　time　is　more　usefully　spent；　and　his
  intellect　more　methodically　trained；　by　getting　up　Ovid's　Fasti
  with　an　ulterior　hope　of　being　able　to　write　a　few　Latin　verses；
  than　in　getting　up　Professor　Rolleston's　〃Forms　of　Animal　Life；〃　or
  any　other　of　the　excellent　Scientific　Manuals　for　beginners；　which
  are　now；　as　I　said；　happily　so　numerous。
  May　that　day　soon　come；　and　an　old　dream　of　mine；　and　of　my
  scientific　friends；　be　fulfilled　at　last。
  And　so　I　end　this　little　book；　hoping；　even　praying；　that　it　may
  encourage　a　few　more　labourers　to　go　forth　into　a　vineyard；　which
  those　who　have　toiled　in　it　know　to　be　full　of　ever…fresh　health；
  and　wonder　and　simple　joy；　and　the　presence　and　the　glory　of　Him
  whose　name　is　LOVE。
  APPENDIX。
  PLATE　I。
  ZOOPHYTA。　　POLYZOA。
  THE　forms　of　animal　life　which　are　now　united　in　an　independent
  class；　under　the　name　Polyzoa；　so　nearly　resemble　the　Hydroid
  Zoophytes　in　general　form　and　appearance　that　a　casual　observer　may
  suppose　them　to　be　nearly　identical。　　In　all　but　the　more　recent
  works；　they　are　treated　as　distinct　indeed；　but　still　included
  under　the　general　term　〃ZOOPHYTES。〃　　The　animals　of　both　groups　are
  minute；　polypiform　creatures；　mostly　living　in　transparent　cells；
  springing　from　the　sides　of　a　stem　which　unites　a　number　of
  individuals　in　one　common　life；　and　grows　in　a　shrub…like　form　upon
  any　submarine　body；　such　as　a　shell；　a　rock；　a　weed；　or　even
  another　polypidom　to　which　it　is　parasitically　attached。　　Each
  polype；　in　both　classes；　protrudes　from　and　retreats　within　its
  cell　by　an　independent　action；　and　when　protruded　puts　forth　a
  circle　of　tentacles　whose　motion　round　the　mouth　is　the　means　of
  securing　nourishment。　　There　are；　however；　peculiarities　in　the
  structure　of　the　Polyzoa　which　seem　to　remove　them　from
  Zoophytology　to　a　place　in　the　system　of　nature　more　nearly
  connected　with　Molluscan　types。　　Some　of　them　come　so　near　to　the
  compound　ascidians　that　they　have　been　termed；　as　an　order；
  〃Zoophyta　ascidioida。〃
  The　simplest　form　of　polype　is　that　of　a　fleshy　bag　open　at　one
  end；　surmounted　by　a　circle　of　contractile　threads　or　fingers
  called　tentacles。　　The　plate　shows；　on　a　very　minute　scale；　at
  figs。　1；　3；　and　6；　several　of　these　little　polypiform　bodies
  protruding　from　their　cells。　　But　the　Hydra　or　Fresh…water　Polype
  has　no　cell；　and　is　quite　unconnected　with　any　root　thread；　or　with
  other　individuals　of　the　same　species。　　It　is　perfectly　free；　and
  so　simple　in　its　structure；　that　when　the　sac　which　forms　its　body
  is　turned　inside　out　it　will　continue　to　perform　the　functions　of
  life　as　before。　　The　greater　part；　however；　of　these　Hydraform
  Polypes；　although　equally　simple　as　individuals；　are　connected　in　a
  compound　life　by　means　of　their　variously　formed　POLYPIDOM；　as　the
  branched　system　of　cells　is　termed。　　The　Hydroid　Zoophytes　are
  represented　in　the　first　plate　by　the　following　examples。
  HYDROIDA。
  SERTULARIA　ROSEA。　　PL。　I。　FIG。　6。
  A　species　which　has　the　cells　in　pairs　on　opposite　sides　of　the
  central　tube；　with　the　openings　turned　outwards。　　In　the　more
  enlarged　figure　is　seen　a　septum　across　the　inner　part　of　each　cell
  which　forms　the　base　upon　which　the　polype　rests。　　Fig。　6　B
  indicates　the　natural　size　of　the　piece　of　branch　represented；　but
  it　must　be　remembered　that　this　is　only　a　small　portion　of　the
  bushy　shrub。
  CAMPANULARIA　SYRINGA。　　PL。　I。　FIG。　8。
  This　Zoophyte　twines　itself　parasitically　upon　a　species　of
  Sertularia。　　The　cells　in　this　species　are　thrown　out　at　irregular
  intervals　upon　flexible　stems　which　are　wrinkled　in　rings。　　They
  consist　of　lengthened；　cylindrical；　transparent　vases。
  CAMPANULARIA　VOLUBILIS。　　PL。　I。　FIG。　9。
  A　still　more　beautiful　species；　with　lengthened　foot…stalks　ringed
  at　each　end。　　The　polype　is　remarkable　for　the　protrusion　and
  contractile　power　of　its　lips。　　It　has　about　twenty　knobbed
  tentacula。
  POLYZOA。
  Among　Polyzoa　the　animal's　body　is　coated　with　a　membraneous
  covering；　like　that　of　the　Tunicated　Mollusca；　but　which　is　a
  continuation　of　the　edge　of　the　cell；　which　doubles　back　upon　the
  body　in　such　a　manner　that　when　the　animal　protrudes　from　its　cell
  it　pushes　out　the　flexible　membrane　just　as　one　would　turn　inside
  out　the　finger　of　a　glove。　　This　oneness　of　cell　and　polype　is　a
  distinctive　character　of　the　group。　　Another　is　the　higher
  organization　of　the　internal　parts。　　The　mouth；　surrounded　by
  tentacles；　leads　by　gullet　an