37 



2 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



Few people, at any rate, would associate these "Thunderbolts" 

 with the Cuttlefish of our seas, and yet all are willing to admit the 

 likeness of the fossil Gryphsea to the well-known Oyster. 



Curious-shaped stones should never on any account be passed 

 by, but may be added to a collection, and little by little the young 

 geologist will gather together an interesting series of specimens, 

 which, when submitted to an expert, may perchance contain some 

 valuable data worth noting. In any case, the young collector will 

 have his powers of observation quickened and interest stimulated 

 and a foundation laid for the cultivation early in life of a sensible 

 hobby. This is bound in after years to help him to appreciate 

 more fully, and to the best advantage, the story of the earth whose 

 very stones, as Shakespeare reminds us, preach eloquent sermons 

 to those who are willing to listen. 



Every boy who has a penchant for Nature study — and especially 

 Geology — would do well to read the life of the eminent Scottish 

 geologist, Hugh Miller, which is an admirable instance of how a 

 man rose in the world from being a working stone-mason to one 

 of the most noted geologists of his time. 



