22 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



stead. During these two years, in fact, was laid the 

 foundation of his future eminence as a naturalist. He 

 had previously, both as child and man, learned what 

 to observe in the way of outdoor zoology, and how 

 to observe it ; he had gained a stock of personal 

 acquaintance with the ways and doings of birds and 

 beasts and reptiles and insects, in which at that time 

 he had few if any equals ; and he had imbibed a true 

 love for the study of living nature, which drew him 

 to it purely for its own sake, and not by reason of 

 the future emolument which it might possibly bring 

 in. And now was gained the equally important know- 

 ledge of anatomy and classification. He learned to 

 understand on what principles animals are separated 

 into classes, and tribes, and orders, and families, and 

 for what reason those principles were chosen. He 

 learned to trace common characteristics in creatures 

 which to all outward seeming are separated far as 

 the poles asunder. And, above all, he came to under- 

 stand the great and all-important law, that Structure 

 depends upon Habit, which afterwards formed the key- 

 note to so much of his writings. Without these two 

 years of careful study, he would never have been the 

 writer and naturalist that he afterwards became. 

 Probably he would never have taken to authorship 

 at all, unless, perhaps, as a writer for boys in boys' 

 periodicals ; and certainly he could never have ventured 

 upon the large and important works which principally 

 brought his name into prominence. And the museum 

 itself also benefited considerably by his labours, of her 



