accordingly. Some prefer taking up some comparatively small 

 department of nature, to study as it were, microscopically, as closely 

 as possible : the humming birds or pigeons, for instance, among birds ; 

 — the papilliondce amongst insects; — or the orchidacea) or coniferae 

 of the vegetable kingdom ; — while others prefer the larger field, and 

 study ornithology, entomology, or botany in its wider range. It u 

 not for me to say which is the preferable of the two (farther, than 

 to hazard an opinion that the more minute student is more likely to 

 be of service to others, while he who takes a larger field will gain 

 the more pleasure and improvement for himself; that the first will 

 be the more quoted as an authority ; the latter will be the happier 

 man) but it is at least most desirable that some care should be given 

 to deciding which of the two lines we should take, in an early 

 stage of our progress. If we take the wider range, we should 

 endeavour to procure only two or three species of each genus, or 

 even of much larger group, according to the facilities we are likely 

 to have of collecting an equal proportion of all the classes, while 

 in the latter case we may probably have a hope of nearly rendering 

 our collection perfect, with some degree of fear least the un- 

 philosophical triumph of being able to say " my collection is com- 

 plete," may supersede the quiet feeling of joy that we have so great 

 means for the study of so great an Mid. 



But in either case if we only commence the task of collecting — 

 not with the spirit of a miser who enjoys the mere possession of the 

 gold he cannot or will not use, but with the calm and philosophical 

 feeling of one who rejoices in riches, for the sake of the good use 

 he can make of them ; — if we consider our collection not as end in 

 itself, but simply as a means to facilitate in ourselves and others the 

 study of nature — this great study in itself being regarded, the 

 while, only as a means to lead our minds upwards from nature up 

 to nature's God. Then, indeed, it is that a collection rises in value 

 and interest ; nor is that interest likely to wane — nor the collection 

 itself to be abandoned in disgust to the ravages of the damp and 

 the moth — if it be based upon the same study which has called into 

 existence and has hitherto given so much interest to the meetings of 

 the Cotteswold Club. 



