148 THE Stupy oF Birp LIFE. 
as that of the daffodils’? how much more gay ought he or any 
other man indeed to be in the company of the birds. 
All the same this going alone is felt by many to be a fatal 
objection, and where it is so it is better for two or three to go 
than not to go at all, but they must not expect the same results. 
It is quite useless for him to try and explain to critics the 
object of his daily seeming waste of time and eyesight. They 
seldom understand, unless he is prepared to draw the long bow 
and shoot at them the arrow of pecuniary profit. Then they do. 
Those who have little idea of the absurd notions enter- 
tained by people in the country about field-ornithologists will do 
well to turn to the “Scottish Reminiscences of Sir Archibald 
Geikie,’’? and read what he says about field-geologists, and 
apply it to ornithologists. 
The really great objection to two or more is that it is seldom 
two people have the same temperament. If, therefore, one wants 
to keep still in one place for some time the other does not or 
cannot, and so on. And where difficulty in keeping quiet is 
unavoidable the chances are always greatly in favour of one. 
But there is no need to dilate on the many advantages in 
being alone. “Two heads are better than one ’’ does not apply 
in this case, as seldom can two heads be brought to bear on the 
same living and often moving object in the same position, and 
under similar circumstances. As the ornithologist will often 
have to wait comparatively idle he can pick up by the way some 
knowledge of bgtany, entomology, or whatever else is useful to 
his science, taking care that what he does pick up is merely 
for use as the servant of his own particular science and not as 
its master. To my great sorrow, I know of one case in which 
botany in this way became the master, and ornithology not even 
the servant. 
Some years ago now, I filled a note-book with bird poetry 
taken from all the best authors, so that I was able to turn to 
it in enforced idleness. I believe such a book can now be 
bought, but it is not the same thing. Each man has his own 
favourite odes or sonnets or what not, and the book he buys is 
sure to leave these out. 
The third difficulty consists in getting over the land and 
water he wants to explore. It is pretty certain that the very 
copse, field, or pool he cannot frequent is the very one the 
