Creatures of the Night: A Book of Wild Life in Western Britain

The Times. —“The quality which perhaps most gives its individuality to the book is distinctive of Celtic genius.... The characters ... are touched with a reality that implies genuine literary skill.”
The Standard. —“Mr Rees has taken a place which is all his own in the great succession of writers who have made Nature their theme.”
The Guardian. —“We can remember nothing in recent books on natural history which can compare with the first part of this book ... surprising insight into the life of field, and moor, and river.”
The Outlook. —“This book—we speak in deliberate superlative—is the best essay in what may be called natural history biography that we have ever read.”
LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET

TO MYFANWY AND MORGAN
“All life is seed, dropped in Time's yawning furrow, Which, with slow sprout and shoot, In the revolving world's unfathomed morrow, Will blossom and bear fruit.” Mathilde Blind.
The Editors of The Standard have kindly permitted me to republish the contents of this book, and I tender them my thanks.
The original form of these Studies of animal life has been extensively altered, and, in some instances, the titles have been changed.
I am again greatly indebted to my brother, R. Wilkins Rees. His wide and accurate knowledge has been constantly at my disposal, and in the preparation of these Studies he has given me much indispensable advice and assistance.
Similarity in the habits of some of the animals described has made a slight similarity of treatment unavoidable in certain chapters.