Charles Darwin, His Life and Work

have simply presented the story of his life, that of one of the greatest naturalists of the age; a life of singular purity; the life of a man who, in loftiness of purpose and the accomplishment of grand results, was the centre of observation in his time; revered and honored, yet maligned and attacked as few have been.

I have asked my readers to follow with me the footsteps of the naturalist from school-days in England to foreign shores, seeking to interest them in the pursuits which he loved and to enable them to observe the things which he saw, believing that in this way the remarkable traits of the man as an observer and thinker can be best and most forcibly shown. I have had an object beyond that of simply telling his story, and one which I believe would commend itself to the great investigator were he living : it is, by tracing and following his work and investigations, to encourage young men and women to emulate his methods, become students in the great field of nature, and enjoy the delights of actual contact with the world of which he was an active worker. That such a career is ennobling I trust the following pages will demonstrate.

In the preparation of this volume I am indebted to Francis Darwin, Esq., of Cambridge, England, whose life of his father is the only work extant giving fully the life and letters of the naturalist. My thanks are also due the Biological Society of Washington for the extracts from the Darwin Memorial, which I conceive to be of especial interest to English readers as an expression from the leading

naturalists of America on the English scientist. My acknowledgments are also given to Professor True, of the Smithsonian Institution, for the loan of a rare and excellent likeness of Darwin, and important papers; and to my wife, whose aid and coöperation have been invaluable. C. F. H.

PASADENA, CAL., November 1, 1890.