Transcriber’s Notes: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=). Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end. * * * * * FROM AN EASY CHAIR * * * * * BY THE SAME AUTHOR EXTINCT ANIMALS By SIR E. RAY LANKESTER, F.R.S. With a Portrait of the Author, and 218 other Illustrations. Demy 8vo. Second Edition, Price =7s. 6d.= net. _NATURE._--“We give the book a hearty welcome, feeling sure that its perusal will draw many young recruits to the army of naturalists, and many readers to its pages.” THE KINGDOM OF MAN By SIR E. RAY LANKESTER, F.R.S. With about 60 Illustrations. Demy 8vo. Second Edition. Price =3s. 6d.= net. _DAILY NEWS._--“Forms one of the most stimulating and suggestive books of recent times. We feel that we cannot praise it too highly.” _OUTLOOK._--“This fascinating and inexpensive book ... in which much knowledge is imparted in a manner that attracts.” * * * * * FROM AN EASY CHAIR BY SIR RAY LANKESTER, K.C.B., F.R.S. “_The world is so full of a number of things, I am sure we should all be as happy as kings._” R. L. STEVENSON [Illustration] LONDON ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE & CO., LTD. 1909 * * * * * RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED BREAD STREET HILL, E.C., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. _Published October, 1908._ _Reprinted January, 1909._ PREFACE This little book is a reproduction, with some emendations, of articles which appeared in the _Daily Telegraph_ in the six months between the beginning of last October and the end of April. If it should meet with success, further collections of the same kind will be published from time to time. E. R. L. _August, 1908._ CONTENTS PAGE 1. Science and the Study of Nature 1 2. The Desire to Know the World of Nature 3 3. Scares and Wonders 5 4. Work at the Pasteur Institute 9 5. The Sea Serpent 10 6. Giraffes and the Okapi 11 7. The Great Geologists of Last Century 14 8. Experiments with Precious Stones 19 9. Diamonds 23 10. Science and Fisheries 27 11. Discoveries as to Malaria 29 12. Malta Fever 34 13. A Cure for Sleeping Sickness 36 14. Tsetse-Flies and Disease 38 15. Monkeys and Fleas 41 16. The Jigger Flea 42 17. Public Estimate of the Value of Science 43