Natural History. 127 



polish up our faculties in the field if we would find plenty of 

 material worthy of our note-books. An unknown quantity of 

 unobserved connections lie around us the moment we leave 

 our doors ; if we do not find them some one else will. 



How to make notes is our next point. If you have not 

 invented a plan a good one, mind you, of your own try this 

 one; it is perhaps the simplest and most effective yet discovered. 

 We all have our favourite books, even when we get better ; 

 Bell's Quadrupeds, 2nd ed., and Yarrell's Birds, 4th ed., are 

 ours. Now, for example, you want to make a note of the 

 long-tailed field mouse. Take a half sheet of ordinary note 

 paper and write the number of Bell's page 293 in the left-hand 

 corner, then the English or Latin name, or both if you like, 

 opposite. Underline these names, and in the right-hand 

 corner add the figure I to signify this is the first page devoted 

 to this species. Then make your notes, carefully recording 

 place, date, and fact, or anything you consider important to 

 notice. In this printed sketch the underlined parts are repro- 

 duced in Italics. 



293. Mus syhaticus L. Long-tailed Field Mouse. I 



Bottesford, Lines., 7.11.69. Dug out nest. There was 

 a side-bolt. Had stored acorns, nuts, and wheat. 



Cadney, Lines., 24.9.93. Watched one carrying wheat 

 to its nest. 



Harrington, Northamps., 8.7.89. Young oak springing up 



from deserted winter store in field by Larkland Wood. 



If we are dealing with our bird-notes we work just the same. 



3 



320. Scolopax rusticola L. Woodcock. 2 



Broughton Wood, Lines., 1872. Very plentiful this year, 



I hear. 



The same. 1876. First seen 18.10.76. 

 Harrington, Northamps. Big fall in 1870, Mr. Cheney 



told me, after rough N.E. winds. 



Cadney, Lines, 1894. Watched one under hedge of oak 

 wood through field-glass turning over the dead leaves 

 and eating worms. 



The left-hand figures refer to Yarrell, volume 3, page 320. 

 When the notes accumulate, a little case of deal, I2in. long, 

 Sin wide, and 3in. deep, stained throughout but varnished 

 only on the outside, keeps them neatly together, in the order 



