ON HABITS OF OBSERVING. 41 



gem, in order to become acquainted with the objects 

 of his search. Of course this remark is not applica- 

 ble to the collecting of facts respecting the lower 

 animals, which are often stationary, and quite indif- 

 ferent to being watched. Here the observer may 

 immediately resort to those localities, which are 

 tenanted by the particular tribes he wishes to study, 

 But as regards quadrupeds and birds, with which 

 principally the greater number of persons occupy 

 themselves, they are generally not to be approached 

 without stratagem : and if they are species frequent- 

 ing plains or other open places this is unavoidable. 

 Also, if the observer is collecting facts for the history 

 of any particular species, he must follow up that 

 species wherever it is to be met with, and must 

 exercise care and ingenuity, as well as a perpetual 

 watchfulness, in getting acquainted with all the par- 

 ticulars of its life. But if our researches are carried 

 on in a woodland district, especially in our own 

 country, and we are not particularly interested in 

 one species of animal more than another, we would 

 strongly recommend, or at least as an occasional 

 practise, the taking our station in some particular 

 spot, and, instead of going to look for objects, noting 

 down whatever occurs, which we consider worthy of 

 our regard. Sometimes in this manner we shall have 

 our attention called to little matters, which, by being 

 always on the move and on the look out for more 

 striking facts, we should have long continued to 

 overlook. , In the dearth of larger animals, or in the 

 intervals between their drawing near enough to be 

 observed, we shall naturally look closer into what is 



