FIELD STUDY 43 



generally the lack of notes means a lack of detailed 

 observation. Some observations can be made only 

 at long intervals, even of many years, others only 

 with the return of another cycle of behavior, or of 

 another season, and still others cannot be repeated. 

 It is such considerations as these which emphasize 

 the need of pursuing the safest course and recording 

 instantly and fully all observations when made. An 

 excess of notes is of very rare occurrence. In the 

 effort to write carefully worded notes one has a very 

 important check upon the tendency toward hasty 

 observation, because such a description requires 

 one to think over the observation before it can be 

 expressed. This deliberation is thus made at the 

 time when reobservation can be made to the best 

 advantage, and calls attention to the weak points 

 to which special consideration may perhaps be given 

 a moment later, and thus affords a chance to com- 

 plete the observation. Comstock (Insect Life, 1897, 

 p. 323) has well summed up the taking of notes as 

 follows: "Fill your notebook with descriptions, but 

 digest them carefully, sifting out for publication only 

 those that exhaustive study and repeated observa- 

 tion prove to be valuable. In making observa- 

 tions be sure you are right and then look again." 

 And again as Van Hise (Science, N. S., Vol. XVI, p. 

 326) has said, "The difference between bad obser- 

 vation and good observation is that the former is 

 erroneous; the latter is incomplete" 



Notes are generally taken in one of two forms, 

 in a book or on loose slips of paper or cards (Hop- 



