CONCLUSION 159 
importance of seeing and doing things for oneself and 
to insist upon the rule being respected scrupulously ; 
but now that we have put theory to the test of practice 
and gained, I trust, some little experience, it is equally 
right that I should explain that I did not mean that 
one was to ignore the work of one’s fellow-labourers, 
or that one was to waste time in proving once more 
what had been proved already, and never to take 
anybody else’s word for anything at all; but I did 
mean that one must not remain satisfied with isolated 
evidence and individual assertion, even and more 
especially when one produces the evidence and makes 
the assertion oneself. Proof must always rest upon 
the authority not of any solitary observer but of at 
least several competent observers, and, where there 
is agreement from various quarters, seeing things for 
oneself in one’s own locality may quite legitimately 
play a secondary, but still an important part. 
It may be relegated to the secondary because 
facts cannot be altered and because well-established 
conclusions founded upon them are not likely to 
be disproved, but it remains always important because 
new facts, as they come to light, must be taken into 
account, and because they do and will continue to 
come to light and modify previous induction. 
The Nature-student therefore must at all times 
have his wits on the alert and his eyes wide open, 
lest in confirming for his own satisfaction some already 
recorded observation, he miss a point that has hitherto 
escaped notice or was not presented to previous 
observers. 
He should set himself to acquire the information 
accessible to all who will, in the spirit of inquiry. 
read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the work of 
M 
