142 BIRDS 3 NESTS. 



common birds. In spite, therefore, of his 

 intention to make haste, he found himself 

 frequently stopping to notice something beau- 

 tiful or unusual. Now, a tuft of peculiarly 

 graceful ferns attracted his attention : now, a 

 damp shady nook covered with exquisitely 

 feathered mosses, of which he wished to dis- 

 cover the fruit ; and now, the effort of a wild 

 bee to extract the honey from a flower which 

 had too long a tube for its proboscis to reach 

 the bottom. He had all his life been in the 

 habit of looking out for fresh instances of the 

 " Wisdom of God in creation," and found it 

 difficult to shut his eyes against the little 

 incidents which many people would call trifles, 

 and yet more would not notice at all, but all 

 of which had, to him, a deep meaning. 



Henry was following his example. He 

 already knew the names of many of the com- 

 monest flowers, butterflies, and birds, and had 

 begun to collect and preserve specimens of the 

 plants which he met with in the course of his 



