6 The Irish Naturalist. January, 



THE STATE OF IRELAND. 



BY ROWLAND SOUTHERN, B.SC, M.R.I. A. 



Study is like the heaven's glorious sun, 



That will not be deep-search'd with saucy looks ; 



Small have continual plodders ever won, 



Save base authority from others' books. 



These earthly godfathers of heaven's lights, 



That give a name to every fixed star, 



Have no more profit of their shining nights 



Than those that walk and wot not what they are. 



Too much to know is to know naught but fame ; 



And every godfather can give a name. 



— Love's Labour's Lost, Act I., Sc. i. 



During the present period of intense national introspec- 

 tion, it might be profitable to enquire into the causes of 

 the recent diminution of interest in natural history in 

 Ireland, and more especially of the decrease in numbers 

 of the " amateur " enthusiasts. The reduced membership 

 of the various Natural History Societies, the falling off. 

 in the attendances at Field Club excursions, and the con- 

 tracting circulation of the Irish Naturalist are symptoms 

 of this lack of interest. Potent causes are undoubtedly 

 the increased and inevitable specialisation of the modern 

 systematist, and the almost complete cataloguing of the 

 more obvious and easily named animals and plants. These 

 two causes alone, however, are not sufficient to account 

 for the present apathy, for the number of problems awaiting 

 solution is as great as ever, and new discoveries are con- 

 tinually opening up fresh avenues for exploration. 



The potency of fashion to mould the form of our 

 activities, and the rarity of initiative in the " rank and 

 file," are obvious even in science. A main cause of the 

 small interest now displayed in Natural History is un- 

 doubtedly due to the excessive attention bestowed, during 

 the last twenty years, on the problems of Geographical 

 Distribution. The aims and methods of several of the 

 dominant personalities in our midst have been slavishly 

 followed by their disciples, and the distribution of an 

 organism has come to be regarded as its most important 

 characteristic. The infinite complexity of nature obtains 



