viii Foreword 



" A little learning is a dangerous thing," was 

 written before the days of Nature-study. In that 

 domain " a little learning," provided always that 

 it be accurate as far as it goes, is a stimulus to 

 much interesting work, opens the eyes to many 

 beauties, and proves an every-day delight ; for what 

 one finds in the fields depends largely upon what 

 one takes into them, and in field and forest, as 

 elsewhere, " the eye sees that which it brings 

 with it the power of seeing." 



The young hero of an old Geiman fairy-tale 

 wandered far and wide, seeking the key-flower 

 which he had seen in dreams, and which was to 

 open for him a treasure-house of riches. And 

 when he returned from his long and fruitless quest 

 he found the magic blossom blowing at the thresh- 

 old of his door. 



Perhaps this means that we shall find our purest 

 joys, after all, in the simple things which are in 

 reach of most of us such as the love of kindred, 

 the friendship of books, and the companionship 

 of Nature, which, constant through all changes, 

 ever shows us the same winsome face. 



My sincere thanks are due to the publishers of 

 the "Popular Science Monthly," the New York 

 " Evening Post," " Arthur's Home Magazine," 



