CHAPTER I 

 NATURE AND OBSERVATION 



THE study of Nature is a delightful occupation. 

 There is no time of day when it cannot be 

 taken up ; there is no period of life when it 

 cannot be pursued in some way or another ; 

 there is no part of the earth where rich material 

 is not lying ready to hand. It is an occupation 

 in which there is endless variety, endless oppor- 

 tunity and endless profit. There is an unfailing 

 source of pleasure and interest open to us all, 

 provided only that we possess two things. The 

 first is a desire to observe and understand what 

 we see around us, and the second is the power 

 to do so intelligently. 



It may be said that those who are compelled 

 to spend their lives in cities are perforce cut off 

 from much intercourse with Nature, except 

 human Nature, and that certain kinds of occu- 

 pation, coal-mining or engine-driving for in- 

 stance, must make any study of the world 

 around us a very difficult matter. It is cer- 

 tainly true that opportunities will be less fre- 

 quent, and the outlook will not be so wide. 

 Still, nothing that the builders of big cities can 



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