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our aninials. It speaks at once of intimate acquaintance -with the 

 creatures described, and cf a close observance of their habits. 



In placing before our fellow members the recjrd of our labors in 

 the field and in the study, we should, I think, aim to do so in as plead- 

 ing a manner as possible: not content merely with exhibiting a well 

 articulated skeleton, but striving to give it the rounded outlines and 

 colours of life. There is a charming quaintness of description found in 

 the works of many old writers on natural hist"«ry, but to us a certain 

 portion of it is frequently due to changes in the language, and sometimes 

 unfortunately, to the imperfect knowledge which is shown of the subject. 



But we need not turn to must}'^ tomes to find charming writings on 

 nature, when we have those of such observers as Grant Allen, Bur- 

 roughs, Abbot, Merriam, and others that come readily to our memorie.". 

 These are the books to read on wild winter niglits, and to call up 

 familiar torras and voices from all the seasons. They have the flavor 

 of the outdoor world of which they treat. The murmuring of waters ; 

 the songs of birds ; the breath of summer winds through odorous 

 thickets; the blossoming of flowers; the myriad sounds and forms tf 

 natui-e, animate and inanimate, are stored for us in their pages. Per. 

 haps here or there we find errors, but they are rare, and we who know 

 how difficult it is to avoid mistakes, should be the last to cast a stone 

 at such careful workers. 



Sit down with paper and \^en and tr\' how much you can write 

 about some species with which you are familiar, and you will probably 

 be surprised to find how little theie is regarding it of which you are 

 absolutely certain. Unless your memory for details is much better than 

 mine, I fear your history will be far from exhaustive. It is easy to 

 believe that you are fully acquainted with a certain form, that you 

 know where and when it appears, and its manner of life and reproduc- 

 tion, but when you attempt to record these, doubts commence to flit 

 through your mind and your knowledge seems less assured. 



These points I mention merely to accentuate the value of carefully 

 kept and well filled note books, from which to draw in such times of 

 need. These, if the entries are properly made, i.e., on the spot and 

 at the time when the fact noted was observed, are of equal interest and 

 value with any collection, except, perhaps, one of living forms. 



