4 THE SEASONS. 



recommend such of our juvenile readers as want some occu- 

 pation for their winter evenings to try the same or some 

 similar dodge. By writing a thing out yourself, you learn 

 it more thoroughly than by merely reading it (don't you find 

 this so, when you have to write out your lessons ?), and you 

 will soon acquire a habit of tabulating any information which 

 you wish to have clearly placed before you. 



As winter advances, the feeling of intense anxiety to be 

 doing something increases in the Entomologist to an almost 

 morbid degree, and the first tolerably tempting day in Ja- 

 nuary or February you are sure to see him a-field. 



Spring comes, and then the Entomologist emerges, as it 

 were, from his long pupa state, and enjoys all the pleasures 

 of a new existence. He is a year older and a year wiser than 

 he was the spring of the previous year : to the experience 

 of the preceding spring and summer, he has added the 

 knowledge gained by his winter studies ; and though in no 

 great hurry to think that he knows everything, he finds the 

 immense advantage of the increase of knowledge he has ob- 

 tained in the twelve months. This is the great charm of 

 knowledge ; the pleasures of that we have acquired, urge us 

 to increased industry in adding to our store. Were summer 

 to come immediately after winter, the transition would be so 

 great that the Entomologist would not have time to adapt 

 himself to the altered state of things; but by the gradual 

 advent of spring, he has the opportunity afforded him of bit 

 by bit accustoming himself to a complete change of occu- 

 pation. The very variableness of the weather too in spring 

 is not without its uses in trying the steadiness of purpose of 

 the Entomologist : by persevering in collecting during the 

 cold ungenial weather of April, and facing sundry cool 

 showers of rain and sleet, he testifies that there is some stuff 



