252 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly Nov. 



worth studying ? Can we find out anything fresh about 

 them ? To both these questions I would emphatically 

 answer, Yes ; and would further impress upon Field Clubs 

 that this is precisely the kind of work which they ought 

 to do. Almost every such club includes at least one 

 ornithologist, to whom I would say. Why not add to the 

 study of birds the cult of our other vertebrates ? This 

 would in no way interfere with present pursuits, whilst it 

 would accomplish much useful work in addition. 



Suppose, for example, that to some village near the sea 

 news comes one morning that a Whale has been stranded 

 during the night. A reporter from the local newspaper 

 goes down to look at it, and proceeds to send off a sensa- 

 tional paragraph to his office, in which the whale is described 

 as a monster 50 or 100 feet long, according to the elasticity 

 of the reporter's imagination. Never by any chance are 

 details given by which the species can be determined. Con- 

 sequently, when the fauna of that particular county comes 

 to be written the unfortunate compiler can make no use of 

 the record. How different would be the case if our hypo- 

 thetical naturalist was to the fore. Directly he heard of the 

 occurrence off he would go armed with measuring-tape, note- 

 book, and camera, and on arrival at the spot he would care- 

 fully note form, size, colour, sex, nature and number of teeth, 

 date, wind, weather, and any particulars obtainable from the 

 local fishermen, especially as to whether the whale was 

 solitary or accompanied by others larger or smaller. These 

 details he would embody in a report and despatch to the 

 secretary or recorder of his club, to be preserved in the 

 archives for all time — a permanent and valuable record. 



As another illustration take the case of a terrestrial species 

 such as the pretty little Harvest Mouse. ^ The existing 

 records of occurrences are very meagre, yet, since they are 

 scattered over a wide area, there is little doubt that the mouse 

 and nest would be discovered, if sought for, in the inter- 

 mediate country, especially if a small reward were offered to 

 men engaged in harvesting operations. Indeed there are 

 several species of British mammals whose distribution is as 



^ Discretion is needed in accepting statements from farm-labourers, who com- 

 monly speak of the Field Vole or Short-tailed Field Mouse as the Harvest Mouse. 



