ON THE STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 55 



OCCASIONAL PAPERS. 



I. ON THE STUDY OF NATUKAL HISTORY. 



Read before the High Wycombe Natural History 

 Society, April 1866. 



" GOD fulfils Himself in many ways." 

 The study of Natural History may be looked at 

 from two points of view ; we may regard it either as 

 affording pleasure to the senses and gratification to 

 the mind ; or as tending to be practically useful in 

 the economy of our lives. It is now closely followed 

 up by the holders of each of these views, and no 

 student in either class has ever repented the study. 

 Nature herself is so infinite and varied in all her pro- 

 ductions, that though she has had disciples ever 

 since man appeared on the earth, she retains, even 

 now, after the lapse of thousands of years, the 

 same freshening influence, the same charm hanging 

 about her works, which acts with such an irresistible 

 force upon the neophyte and urges him to travel 

 onwards. It is not my intention now to refer at all 

 to the advantages derived from the study by those 

 holding the second view ; we are assembled here as 

 we have been at other times, simply from a love of 

 Nature, with a desire so to look upon created works, 

 that we may find "life and food for future years." 

 To many I may say nothing new ; to some I may 



