long. In my own increasing experience, I soon 

 learned a thing or two. Chief among the things 

 learned is that the work of the investigator (con- 

 trary to the statements of the savants) does not re- 

 quire a superior order of intellect for its perform- 

 ance — not even an uncommon intellect. I was 

 forced, therefore, to conclude that those worthy 

 gentlemen were not wizards. Indeed, it had be- 

 come only too plain that what they were able to 

 do, any normal person equipped with determina- 

 tion, a sound pair of eyes and a lucky star, can like- 

 wise do. Nor should I insist that even these latter 

 attributes are indispensable. 



The importance of this latter element, which is 

 to say the element of chance, cannot be too strongly 

 stressed, because of the all too prevalent belief 

 that the naturalist invariably makes his discoveries 

 by reason of a long, arduous preparation, and in- 

 tensive study; a belief fostered by the literature 

 of certain pundits, men who would appear most 

 learned by throwing an air of mystery over their 

 methods; thus indicating by example as well as by 

 their statements that a high intellectual develop- 

 ment, remote from that of the layman, is essential 

 to penetrate the profundities of their craft. 



[365] 



