PRELIMINARY QUALIFICATIONS, 305 



analogies throughout the animal kingdom, until he at 

 length gains a full conviction of the paucity and sim- 

 plicity of nature's laws, amidst the countless variety of 

 her forms and modifications. 



(370.) The two departments of study here sketched, 

 as pursued by the practical and the scientific naturalist, 

 are brought before the reader, not for the purpose of 

 vaunting the superiority of one over the other, but that 

 he should clearly understand their nature, and make up 

 his mind, at the outset, which path of enquiry he will 

 pursue. But, indeed, if he be not frightened by the 

 difficulties attending an enlarged knowledge of the 

 science, he may combine both these trains of enquiry, in 

 moderation, without the smallest detriment either to one 

 or the other. He may observe in the fields, and study 

 in his closet ; and this is usually done by all the rising 

 naturalists of the present day. Those who are satisfied 

 with being mere amateurs, may confine their researches 

 to what they can learn in the open air ; yet even these 

 would find a far superior delight in their favourite pur- 

 suit, by viewing it in a more intellectual and philosophic 

 spirit : just as a person who understands the mechanism 

 of a watch derives much more pleasure from knowing 

 the relations of its parts, than he did when he merely 

 viewed it as an ingenious assemblage of wheels and 

 springs. 



(371.) There are certain qualifications, however, 

 which, if not already possessed, must nevertheless be 

 acquired by both these classes of observers. These we 

 shall now briefly touch upon, and then proceed to speak 

 of others more particularly applicable to these separate 

 paths of enquiry. 



(372.) Accuracy of observation is one of the first 

 qualifications which the student should acquire. A 

 quick and discerning eye, accustomed, by practice, to 

 distinguish differences which an ordinary observer would 

 overlook, is absolutely essential. The most perfect 

 acquaintance with all the systems that were ever in- 

 vented, and with all the theories that have ever been pro- 

 x 



