ON HABITS OF OBSERVING. 7 



merely in the dead or preserved state, but in the 

 living or at least recently-killed. Without this he can 

 never closely investigate, or fully understand, many 

 parts of their structure, the knowledge of which 

 is sometimes essential for forming even the most 

 distant idea of their true affinities. Besides this, 

 there are many tribes of animals, especially among 

 the lower classes, which, from their delicate organiza- 

 tion, are scarcely capable of being preserved at all. 

 To study these, therefore, and to obtain even the 

 most general view of their organization, it will be 

 necessary for him to resort to the spots where they 

 are found. But further ; in addition to a knowledge 

 of structure, the naturalist requires a knowledge 

 of habits. The former, indeed, is always connect- 

 ed with, and more or less subordinate to, the lat- 

 ter. And though he may sometimes infer a par- 

 ticular habit from a given structure, yet such in- 

 ference can only be the result of having first ac- 

 tually observed their co-existence in a large num- 

 ber of instances. After all, what is more varied 

 than the habits and instincts of different animals ? 

 How multiplied are the resources of Nature in com- 

 passing her ends ! How often do we find the same 

 object attained in as many different ways as there 

 are cases in which the object is sought! Again, 

 how strangely are both habits and structure some- 

 times modified by accidental circumstances, and by 

 conditions affecting certain particular localities ! 

 So that it is at once obvious, that, in order to be- 

 come acquainted with all the phenomena of Natu- 

 ral History, a man must leave the retirement of 



