4 THE NATURE-STUDY OF PLANTS 
when it comes to the question of exactly how it 
manages it, and it is just those things which are not 
known that the Nature-student should try to find out. 
The wish to know must not only be present, but 
it must be the driving force; curiosity and enthusi- 
asm are a sine qud non, since, without them, nothing 
in this world is ever done as well as it might be. The 
interest in the work must be irresistible, and the 
concentrated absorption while it is being done must 
be complete. 
Patience is an essential, and so is a mental build 
that can not only seize the fleeting opportunity, but 
is also capable of waiting, content, by virtue of an 
imperturbable faith, with slow progress and without 
any misgivings as to the ultimate result. 
Accuracy in making and recording observations 
must also be cultivated assiduously. It has been said, 
with profound wisdom, that it is very easy to see what 
we go out to look for, which means that if we are 
hoping or expecting our subject to do this, that, or the 
other, there is a danger of misinterpretation in favour 
of preconceived ideas. Again, it is just as easy to 
overlook what we are not expecting or prepared for, 
and it is sometimes very annoying to find that we have 
missed a chance, either from carelessness or inexperi- 
ence, which cannot be retrieved for another twelve 
months. 
Such things are bound to happen, but they should 
not discourage us. Experience will soon reduce the 
human liability to error and in the course of time 
convert the tyro into an expert. 
Thoroughness and method in keeping the records are 
invaluable, and in this connection there is a rule that 
I should like to insist upon now, because its neglect 
