xvii OUTDOOR AND INDOOR ORNITHOLOGY 401 



birds ought to be seen in their own countries A 

 Humming-bird in a museum is a piece of wonderful 

 colour ; in his own country he is something so won- 

 derful that no one has ever yet described him. And 

 there are certain favoured islands to which it is worth 

 while to go and stop for a good long time, where 

 you ma}- be able to realise the reign of system in 

 the great migrant world Wherever you go, long 

 and patient observation is what is wanted. The 

 proverb " Everything comes to those that wait " is 

 one for all naturalists to bear in mind 



Indoors 



Though a live specimen, if you can see it well, is 

 worth twenty dead ones, it is seldom you can watch 

 a live bird near at hand for long together and make 

 out minute points. Museums, therefore, are wanted, 

 not only large ones in great towns, but smaller ones 

 scattered about the country. You often cannot get 

 to the large ones when you want. When you are 

 there, the amount of objects is distracting, and it 

 is difficult to concentrate your attention on one ; and 

 you want specimens that you can handle, a skin that 

 you can take up and examine closely, count the wing 

 or tail feathers, measure the various parts, bare the 

 apteria, &c, &c. Even mounted specimens, unless 

 they are set up in costly style with elaborate 

 surroundings, it is well to have in cases that will 

 open, so that you can take them out and look at 

 them all round. Specimens of the common birds 

 and of the rarer ones are wanted ; of the common 



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