464 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



Entomologists will here score by a knowledge of insect life. 

 Others may capture specimens and keep them for identifica- 

 tion later by themselves or others. The many other features 

 for observation are briefly enumerated in the Introduction 

 to this volume (section 15). 



Observation may also be supplemented by photographing 

 the plant in its habitat, thereby preserving a record of the 

 form of the plant and its surroundings. The recording of 

 plant-life day by day in diary form will by degrees afford a 

 fund of information, if regularly sustained. Such a day- 

 diary made in the field may be supplemented by extended 

 notes upon special heads, and this information may be 

 arranged on a card system on any desired lines — e. g. colour 

 of flowers, phenology, etc. Though plants should not be 

 dug up wholesale, certain advantages are to be gained by 

 growing types of interest at home in the garden, where they 

 can be studied with ease at all seasons and times. 



The relations of plants to man and to other animals may 

 be noted with advantage, the influence of agriculture, tree- 

 felling, drainage, etc., being very important in its effect upon 

 plant-life, and a subject not yet adequately enough studied. 



(b) Collection^ Dryitig^ Mounting^ and P?'eservatio7i of 

 Material for Future Study. 



Brief notes upon this head were given in the Introductory 

 Volume (Appendix). For fuller information, reference may 

 be made to the author's 'Practical Field Botany' (Griffin), 

 where a bibliography is also given. 



The seasons when plants can and should be collected are 

 generally cited in most British floras. The habitats of plants 

 and the localities where the types are to be found, to which 

 journeys must be made by the student who wishes to study 

 all the British species he can, will also be found in most 

 British floras ; but upon the first and second heads personal 



