CHAPTER FOUR 



An Adventure in the Microcosm 



T would seem that to a naturalist, 

 jthe tools of his trade would be about 

 ! his last resort for moments of diver- 

 sion. It would seem, also, that with 

 [his multifarious employments, he 

 should need no diversion — judging from the 

 amount of nonsense that appears in print pertain- 

 ing to the deep and exclusive devotion with which 

 he continuously prosecutes his work. 



But do not be deceived. Without wishing for 

 an instant to have it appear that the fascination 

 of natural history ever fails, I should hardly be 

 candid were I to attempt to conceal that there come 

 times when he tires mentally and physically from 

 the wearisome routine of certain phases of his occu- 

 pation, or from exhausting vigils to verify by 

 actual observation what oftentimes he knows in 

 advance will be the inevitable result. 



[in] 



