98 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly May 



rest assured that there is a large and ever-increasing audience 

 in this country anxious to be told of what he has seen, and 

 to listen to any thoughtful remarks he may have to make 

 thereon. And if any one wishes for proof of the statement 

 that there is a great movement going forward in the direction 

 of the love of knowledge in the natural sciences, we would 

 select three lines of evidence in support of the contention. 



First of all, take the Press. Not many years ago it was 

 exceptional to encounter articles on outdoor nature observa- 

 tions in the ordinary papers. Gradually during the last few 

 years such articles have been increasing in number and 

 frequency, not only in what may be termed more serious 

 publications, but in the ordinary weekly and even in the 

 daily papers. At the present moment it is almost the rule 

 for a large daily paper to have a weekly column devoted to 

 the consideration of animals or plants or both. This supply 

 must be in response to a demand which those responsible for 

 the management of the journal perceive; and even though 

 some of the matter thus published be not of a vety high 

 standard, — most of it is extremely good, however, — its pub- 

 lication is a sign of the times, and can be only a factor for 

 good in our population. Of more serious literature it is 

 sufficient to say that the number of volumes dealing with 

 plants and animals which are issued every month is nothing 

 less than astonishing. We sincerely hope that all the good 

 ones meet with a ready sale. If publishers as well as editors 

 are good judges of the demand in books (and they ought to 

 be), this too is a striking sign of the times. 



Secondly, we would instance the great change which has 

 come over the minds of those who are responsible for the 

 education of the young, not omitting the Education Depart- 

 ment. Nowadays it is expected that a nursery governess 

 shall take care to implant in the young intellect a love for 

 animals and flowers, — a love which we are just finding out 

 was there already, and only wanted guiding and educating. 

 Take up at random half a dozen books for children, and we 

 find that the fairies and goblins and fantastic imaginations 

 of our own childhood have given place to well-written and 

 generally accurately illustrated books on animals and flowers. 

 It makes one wonder if children did really enjoy the weird 



