264 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



must Tinderstand his tools. They had to learn. 

 Luckily, you're young enough and the little money 

 your uncle left you will keep you for the time 

 being." 



"You mean — I ought to go to school?" 



"No," said the Feather Man, "I don't. To 

 speak frankly, Shan, you're too far behind and too 

 old to catch up with the boys of your age. You 

 do understand the life of the woods. You can 

 handle a gun, and a boat and a net. You know a 

 good deal about birds and you want to learn more. 

 Develop the talents that you have and you might 

 become a fair field naturalist. I '11 help you, mean- 

 while, with such schooling as is necessary for that 

 work. ' ' 



"But I want to be earning something — " Shan 

 interrupted. 



"So you should. I haven't finished. I was 

 about to say that you have a place to live in and 

 you have land. Some of that land is marsh, with 

 iTinning water. You could undertake the breed- 

 ing of duck, domestic ducks, if you liked, and, later, 

 some of the breeds of Wild Duck which can be 

 domesticated. You could sell the eggs. Perhaps, 

 if you were successful in raising some of the rarer 

 breeds, you could find a good market for them. 



