27 



country. Many mammals are gone, our flowers 

 and insects are going. The grower is continuously 

 straining to overcome nature— to eliminate the 

 struggle for life between different species, in which, 

 under natural conditions, every plant has its 

 opportunities and the balance of life is evenly 

 adjusted ; he is attempting to undo all this to grow 

 what he wishes, and destroy what he considers 

 objectionable. Any animal or plant not useful, is 

 considered so much vermin or weed, to be driven 

 from the face of the earth as speedily as possible, 

 but how often is this to bis own disadvantage, 

 when carried on without sound judgment and 

 knowledge. This is the feeliog which prevails and 

 were it not for the comparative tew lovers of 

 Nature who have in the past by their efforts, saved 

 something of the beauties of England, we should 

 have nothing of natural England left. 



-Amid all the clamour of to day, one sometimes 

 feels inclined to enquire for the ideal man — he 

 who we might consider the man most fitted for his 

 position in the universe, and who will work for 

 the most good in harmony with Nature, the man 

 tending to lift mankind, who we might look up to, 

 and strive to copy. After seeking among all classes 

 of society, it is somtthing of a relief, to find the 

 truly cultured man acknowledged to be but a 

 piece of elemental nature. He has no hate, no 

 whim, no prejudice. He believes in the rich, the 

 poor, the learned, the ignorant; he believes in the 

 wrongdoer, the fallen, the sick, the weak, the de- 

 fenceless ; he loves children, animals, birds, in- 

 sect-, trees, and flowers ; he is one who is 

 atraid of no man, and of whom no man is afraid ; 

 he puts you at your ease, you could not be abashed 

 before him. In his presence there is no temptation 

 to deceive, to oveistate, to understate, to be any- 

 thing different t-o what you are. You could con- 

 fess to such a man, reveal your soul and tell the 

 worst and his only answer would be " I know, I 

 know," and tears of sympathy might dim his eyes. 

 Occasionally we meet a man tending towards 

 these qualities, but if from the middle or lower 

 classes, it seems to rae that the liberal culture of 

 this man is due.eithei consciously or unconsciously, 

 to his love for investigating Nature. Sometimes 

 we see such a man alone, enjoying his rambles ia 

 his mcdest way, finding a companion in every tree 

 or flower ; he seems to feel that he is alone, that 

 it would be useless to try and tempt others to see 

 what be sees ; he feels what a little he knows, 

 but is it not a fact, the more ignorant a man is, 

 the more stubborn and opinionated he will be. 

 Should the cultured man be a product of the 

 advanced methods of the higher schools, it is 

 likely he has had to tear himself from an aris- 

 tocracy of learning, and puton ahumility of learn- 

 ing. Brain culture seems to be the chief thing 

 with oar higher schools ; it is he of whom we so 

 easily tire, for, as Emerson says, the heart concerns 

 Ti3 more than the peering into microscopes, for the 

 depth of all knowledge lies within the heart. It 

 seems to me thjt a liberal culture is what 

 we should aim for — culture of the heart and soul, 

 as well as the brain. I know of nothing which so 

 well supplies this want, as approaching Nature in 

 the way I have attempted to de.=*cnbe. 



Many will say, let me coatinue my literary 



study. In literature there is much to charm, 

 much to delight and satisfy, but it does not take 

 us into the fields or woods or over the hills, or 

 beside lakes and risers, or give us such material 

 for thought, nor can one help feeling that we are 

 looking into the limited. On the other hand, 

 when we are face to face with Nature, we are 

 looking into the infinite and realise that, however 

 many veils we may take away, there is stiU veil 

 after veil behind. I have seen several caset- lately 

 where lads who have made collections of butterflies 

 and moths during their school days, on starting 

 out in the world, have parted with their collections 

 and given up the hobby which has previously 

 given them so much pleasure. This seems to me 

 a great pity. Would it not be better for such lads, 

 if they had the opportunities, to take a step frooa 

 the mere collecting, into the studies of that which 

 is perhaps the grandest branch of science — biology, 

 or thu science of living things 'f This would, at 

 least, absorb their minds from the temptations of 

 public houses and .;lubs. Young naturalists often, 

 when leaving home to enter an establishment or 

 lodgings, find it impo.ssible to practice their 

 hobbies, particularly photography. Children will 

 increasingly, no doubt, have a deeper insight into 

 natural phenomena, and it seems to me very 

 necessary that they should have the opportunities 

 to practice their hobbies and extend their minds 

 throughout life. It would require but a portion 

 of the interest now given by man to public houses 

 and clubs, to be diverted into this nobler channel, 

 and so raise the standard of mankind and give 

 them a life long pleasure. Perhaps some day we 

 may see, instead of the many attempts on different 

 lines of recreation for young people, one institute 

 in every district, which has the sympathies of local 

 authorities. By that time, perhaps, all children 

 will be having a proper scientific education, and 

 they will then understand that only the end of 

 life is the end of learning. The man, or even 

 woman, will be able to use the dark room of the 

 institute, for the camera may be not only the 

 guide to Nature study, but an accessory to the 

 naturalist. Instead of individual collections stored 

 out of sight, rooms might be set apart that all 

 might benefit, rooms for conversation, and, 

 above all, s lecture hall, where the learned 

 man could come forward and enlighten us into 

 the wonderful works of the Creator. Surely the 

 beauties and wonders of Nature would satisfy the 

 instincts which man satisfies ing'imesof billiards, 

 cards, and and so on. Cycling Clubs are well so 

 far, but it requires something more than a mere 

 lun to give us a satisfactory feeling, and the 

 addition of some branch of Natural History, say 

 geology, would, to my mind, be a grand addition. 

 Camera Olubs, if we are to raise our work above 

 mere snapshotting, are absolutely necessary, bo 

 that we should be acquainted with the beauties of 

 Nature, for nobody can really enjoy the recreation 

 of photography unless he has learned to observe 

 and recognise Nature's moods. Nor would it be 

 so utterly impossible to procure a piece of wood- 

 land where naturalists, under stringent rules, 

 would have the opportunities of studying Nature 

 apa,rt from man's interference. Such a thing has 

 been tried and found very successful in encourag- 



