Vlll PREFACE. 



and entering in a daily journal, such little facts as 

 may offer themselves to their notice, and which, 

 under the guidance here afforded them, they may 

 deem worthy of record. 



It is especially with a view to this end, that the 

 author has treated in a General Introduction to the 

 work, of the value and advantage of those habits of 

 observing, which are indispensable to the progress of 

 all sciences, but especially of the science of Natural 

 History, and which, at the same time, are the sources 

 of so much delight and amusement to all true lovers 

 of Nature. He need not here enter into details 

 connected with this subject, which the reader will 

 find in that Introduction stated at length. He may 

 simply mention that, in addition to the remarks he 

 has there offered on this head, he has drawn up a 

 few rules, by attention to which, young naturalists 

 may acquire the habit of observing correctly; from 

 which also they may derive a few hints for carrying 

 on their observations upon such a plan as would 

 materially enhance the value of what they observe, 

 as well as tend more surely to recompense them for 

 the time and labour they had bestowed on such a 

 purpose. For some of these hints, or for trains of 

 thinking that have led up to them, the author him- 

 self has been indebted to certain parts of the admi- 

 rable " Discourse on the study of Natural Philo- 

 sophy," by Sir John Herschel. 



With respect to the " Calendar," which forms the 

 concluding portion of the present work, enough is 

 stated in the Introduction to that particular part, to 

 render any further explanation of it unnecessary. 



