It
is not given to every one to be able to consult the old Naturalists;
and, besides, most of them are written in Latin, and to read them
through is partly unprofitable work, as they copy so largely one from
another. But, for the general reader, selections can be made, and, if
assisted by accurate reproductions of the very quaint wood engravings,
a book may be produced which will not prove tiring, even to a
superficial reader.