lties to the observer, viz.: the life of the
dwellers in the deep sea. Our investigation of these remote kindreds is
at best spasmodic, and conducted always at the extreme of disadvantage;
and the knowledge which we may gain from such investigation must always
remain in a measure fragmentary. It is not easy for any observer to be
intimate with a sawfish; and the most ardent naturalist's acquaintance
with an _orca_, or "killer" whale, must be essentially a distant one, if
he would hope to put his observations upon record. Needless to say, my
own knowledge of the orca, the shark, the narwhal, or the colossal
cuttlefish of the ocean depths, is not of the same kind as my knowledge
of the bear, the moose, the eagle, and others of the furtive folk of our
New Brunswick wilderness. When I write of these latter I build my
stories upon a foundation of personal, intimate, sympathetic
observation, the result of a boyhood passed in the backwoods, and of
almost yearly visits, ever since my boyhood, to the wild forest regions
of my native province. But when I write of the kindreds of the deep sea,
I am relying upon the collated results of the observations of others. I
have spared no pains to make these stories accord, as far as the facts
of natural history are concerned, with the latest scientific
information. But I have made no vain attempt at interpretation of the
lives of creatures so remote from my personal knowledge; and for such
tales as "A Duel in the Deep," "The Terror of the Sea Caves," or "The
Prowlers," my utmost hope is that they may prove entertaining, without
being open to any charge of misrepresenting facts. On the other hand, in
certain of the stories dealing with the results of my own observation
and experience, I have dared to hope that I might be contributing
something of value to the final disputed question of animal psychology.
For such stories, which offer in the form of fiction what my
observations have compelled me to regard as fact, I have presented my
case already, in the prefaces to "The Watchers of the Trails" and "Red
Fox." To those prefaces I would add nothing here; and from the
conclusions therein stated I have nothing to retract. I would merely
take this occasion to reaffirm with confidence the belief, which I find
shared by practically all observers whose lives are passed in the
closest relationship with animals,--by such vitally interested
observers, for instance, as keepers, trainers, hunters, and
tra