132 Wild Life in Water 



has placed it. It is perhaps not so much set 

 forth by exceptional incidents that the student 

 happens to witness as by that general appear- 

 ance of common sense which is so unmistaka- 

 bly stamped upon even the most common- 

 place movements. Writers upon animal 

 intelligence do not need to be constantly on 

 the lookout for special exhibitions of cunning 

 in order to substantiate the claims they make 

 in favor of life's lower forms. It is plainly 

 enough to be seen if we will but patiently 

 watch whensoever these creatures come and 

 wheresoever they go and the manner of their 

 going and coming. 



Do not be so intent upon watching for the 

 marvellous that ordinary incidents are not 

 seen. In studying wild life everywhere, 

 and perhaps more particularly in the water, 

 to be rightly informed we must see the aver- 

 age individual amid commonplace surround- 

 ings. Doing this, we are not mis-informed 

 nor led to form too high an opinion. It is 

 as in the study of humanity. We must not 

 familiarize ourselves with the mountebank, 

 but with man. 



