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Society to give reasons why its members should study some branch of 
Natural History, and carefully put down the localities, or rather ap- 
proximate localities, of the different plants or animals collected or 
; noted by them; but, at the risk of being deemed presumptuous, he felt 
it his duty to break a lance on the side of Natural History, pro- 
perly so called, for there were naturalists and naturalists, one set of 
whom better deserved the name of co//ectors : many of these, so long 
as they added a new dried plant, stuffed bird, or set-out insect to their 
collections, fancied themselves, naturalists, though they were deplorably 
__ ignorant of the habits and econemy of not simply their latest additions, 
but of the greater part of their collections. He had no wish to depre- 
ciate collections ; but simply to point out that these mere collectors 
___— were not, in the true sense of the word, naturalists. The proper study 
of Natural History induced observation of the living plant or animal, 
and might, or might not, be associated with collections. 
. If botany, or any branch of that delightful study were the hobby, 
it drew us from the smoke and bustle of town to wander amid the 
wild scenes of Nature, to search alike woods, crags, marshes, moun- 
_ tains, as each had its peculiar plants, in the search after which charms 
unknown or unnoticed by others unfolded themselves to the view, 
supplying, as had been said, “ keys which give admission to the most 
delightful gardens which fancy ever pictures—a magic power, which 
unveils the face of the universe, and discloses endless charms of which 
ignorance never dreams.” If insect life were the object of study, with 
what zest did we search for caterpillars, watched them through their 
_ changes and transformations, noted the differences of structure or 
_ design when passing to their dormant state ; and then the enjoyment 
' of seeing them emerge as perfect insects, gorgeous and glittering, en- 
dowed with instincts which prompted them to deposit their eggs in or 
upon the food of their progeny. Let either of these votaries add but 
~ the microscope, which ought to be a part of the equipment of every 
‘naturalist, and then what a world of wonders opened to the mind, 
enabling it to discriminate differences which the unaided eye never 
_ pursued a/one; let each have a companion, at least, to share the en- 
thusiasm, for one of the greatest advantages of properly studying 
_ Nature arose from its sociability: there was-a kind of freemasonry, 
‘ 
