THE NATURALIST AT WORK. 61 



world, while the popular style in which it was written 

 rendered it easily intelligible to all. 



In connection with this book my father met with a 

 rather amusing incident. Soon after its publication, he 

 was hard at work among the rock-pools at Margate, a 

 mallet and a chisel in his hand, his oldest coat on, and 

 his trousers tucked up to his knees. Just as he was 

 moving from one pool to another, a small company of 

 fashionably dressed young ladies approached, deeply 

 intent upon a copy of his own "Common Objects." 

 Just as they passed they looked up, saw the en- 

 thusiastic naturalist in his working attire, shrugged 

 their shoulders, elevated their noses, and murmured, 

 " How very disgusting ! " And then they returned to 

 their book. 



The success of " Common Objects of the Sea-shore " 

 was followed by still more striking results in the case of 

 " Common Objects of the Country," which appeared in 

 1858. The book took the public completely by storm. 

 A first edition of one hundred thousand copies was 

 prepared, and at the end of a single week not a copy 

 was to be procured ! Edition followed edition, and still 

 the printers and binders could scarcely work with 

 sufficient rapidity to meet the orders which still came 

 pouring in. After a time, of course, the demand 

 slackened ; but from that day to this it has never 

 ceased, and " Common Objects of the Country " is still 

 a book which commands a yearly sale. 



Most unfortunately, however, my father, when 

 making arrangements for the production of these two 



