1901] Winter Soirees. 187 



who are present at as many as threescore and ten of Nature's 

 twelve-act performances and never see the scenery, listen to the 

 music or observe the actors," If I understand aright the aims of 

 such a society as the Field Naturalists' Club, they are to help us to 

 hear and interpret the music of Nature's orchestra, the birds, the 

 bees, the winds, the brooks, to aid in our study of the scenery and 

 to encourag-e us to learn whatever may be known of the actors. 

 It is true there is a utilitarian aspect to Nature study, and this 

 aspect is of great national importance, but, in my opinion, the 

 purely utilitarian aspect need concern us very little. If we. as a 

 nation, can learn to love Nature and to interpret Nature, we shall 

 be certain to make the most of natural resources. 



It is really wonderful how much "seeing" is a matter of 

 training, how little may be seen by some and how much can be seen 

 by others ; and this training in observation, to be effective, must 

 begin very early in the life of the child. This Society can hope to 

 do very little in gaining the real interest of those who have reached 

 middle life or passed it. This class may be interested for an even- 

 ing or for a day in some special and very interesting feature of 

 Nature study ; they may be amused at any time if the lecturer be 

 interesting, but, unless they have learned to see for themselves and 

 toenjoy the companyof Nature, any interest on their part in Nature's 

 wonders is likely to be spasmodic and short-lived. The hope of 

 every society for the encouragement of Nature study lies in the 

 young, and I firmly believe that, were it possible to interest every 

 Canadian child in Nature study, the problem of elementary 

 education would be practically solved. There is something good 

 in every boy or girl. The problem is how to turn the impulses in 

 the right direction. Many children already take a deep interest in 

 the field excursions of this Society, and its officers are to be com- 

 mended for encouraging them. The inclination towards a study 

 of science has often been received at an early age and sometimes 

 from a beginning apparently trivial. Wm. Hamilton Gibson, the 

 great American exponent of Nature study, whose death a few years 

 ago removed a man ot great promise, relates as follows concerning 

 his own beginning: "I was very young and playing in the 

 woods. I tossed over the fallen leaves and came across a 

 chrysalis. There was nothing remarkable in that, for I knew v\hat 



