209 



the sparrows, blackbirds and crows, noisy and tronblesome, not the 

 sweet voiced hermit thrush or the shy woodhiud waiblers. 



The field-naturalist tlien must be really of the fields: no collections 

 of dried ))lants and insects, or series of skins and shel's and stones 

 should so engross his attention as to withdraw him from his I'ightful 

 haxmts. 



To those who know anything of outdoor life, what a source of 

 enjoyment is this wandering in fields and woods At every step some 

 object of interest is observed ; a flower not hitherto noticed ; a rare 

 l)ird resting on its migiatory journev to or from the north ; a shy 

 animal venturing fortii from its secluded home, such, for instance, as 

 the weasel in his winter garb, harmonizing so well with his surround- 

 ings, that almost alone by the glitter of his cruel bead-like eyes is he 

 revealeil, as he peers cautiously forth from a knothole in an old tree. 



Tiiere are other inhabitants of the thickets to be found even when 

 the ground is deeply veiled with snow and the murmuring of the streams 

 is hushed. The partridge and the hare are still in their haunts, as the 

 country l«d well knows who has a line of snares laid across the tamarac 

 or cedar swamp, ^yith what eager uncertainty he visits them each 

 morning, and how merrily he returns if successful in his frosty round. 



The wary fox comes nearer to civilization as hunger presses, carrv- 

 ing his explorations as far as the poultry yard ; and what a sight it is 

 to see this beautiful animal, not fleeing for his life irom a pack of 

 panting, yelping hounds, but tripping his light course across the fields, 

 or playfully rambling with his mate, and indulging in elegant and 

 spoitive gambols. 



Let not the naturalist then desert the fields even in winter, under 

 the impression that nought i-emains to observe. When the snow lies 

 deep and the mercury is low, a tramp on snowshoes straight away 

 across country, will have intei-ests of its own, and will in addition make 

 him filter lor the work of the study and cabinet. It is in the winter 

 that these must receive most attentioii, and the library be made to 

 supplement the work of the field. 



No matter how minute our own observations, they can cover but a 

 small part of the innumerable phenomena of nature, and it is abso,- 

 lutely necessary to study the ))ublications of other workers in similar 



