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 j 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 



