270 M. C. COOKE ON BLACK MOULDS. 



Turn aside with me if you please, to watch a strange-looking man 

 always found lurking about streamlets, ditches, ponds, puddles, and 

 such watery localities ; ever and anon stooping and dipping, and 

 then retiring with plenty of small spoil corked up in small bottles, 

 to amuse himself with them at his leisure. This man, although 

 alone on the marsh, or moor, enjoys his excursion ; there is a plea- 

 sure and interest in it which the casual excursionist cannot compre- 

 hend. And why ? You may be sure that the secret is in the man ; 

 he is steadily pursuing some one object, he has a fundamental 

 motive, his energies are being controlled and directed in some given 

 direction, and hence knowing what he requires, and where to seek it, 

 he pursues his excursion, as he follows his business, with method, 

 and consequently with success. Follow him to his home, and his 

 microscope ; you will not find him encumbered with a large and com- 

 plicated instrument, but with a small and simple one, just suited to 

 the work it has to perform, his cabinet of objects simply reflects the 

 image ofhishobby. Perhaps there are no " young oysters," " elytra 

 of golden beetle," "Topping's hair of Indian bat," "proboscis of 

 blow-fly," " scales from a butterfly's wing," or " section of bull- 

 rush," but there are many of the one special subject of his study. 

 Consult his library, it is not a large one, but contains all he require s, 

 just because he circumscribes his studies. Talk to him, he is not 

 devoid of general information on general microscopical subjects, but, 

 if by chance you should advert to the one special object of his study, 

 then will you discover yourself not in the presence of a student, but 

 of a master, and whilst you feel compelled to bow with respect 

 before one who at once establishes his supremacy by learning to do 

 one thing well, you cannot but remember that it was just such con- 

 centration which enabled John Ralfs to produce his British Des- 

 midiaj, John Denny, his volume of Anopleura, William Smith his 

 British Diatomaceas, George Johnson his British Zoophytes, and 

 last, not least, our late venerable friend, Dr. Bowerbank, his British 

 Spongiadse, and would enable others to achieve a similar success in 

 other directions. 



The arguments in favour of special studies, of the habit of con- 

 centration in study are strongly on the side of the student. A 

 smaller library will be required, and the best books in a special 

 subject might be purchased for the same cost as a number of general 

 ones, a thorough mastery may readily be obtained as the result of a 

 constant experience with the same class of organisms, co-operation 



