28 WHAT TO DO IN THE COUNTRY 



particularly wish to point out to them, and I am 

 frequently bewildered as to what to do to put the 

 matter right. 



As to the identification of birds or of mammals, 

 of insects or of plants, that only comes as a result 

 of years of painstaking and loving study. Rome 

 was not built in a day, neither does the mighty 

 Oak tree in the forest attain its magnificence with- 

 out a struggle and without years of devotion. 



I remember how as a boy of six I was lifted up 

 by my grandfather into a hedgerow to peep inside 

 a nest of the Hedge Sparrow. How I revelled at a 

 sight of the bright blue eggs! I have had, too, a 

 warm place in my affections for this bird ever since 

 those boyhood days, and have ever striven to obtain 

 as much information as I could by making personal 

 acquaintance with wild animals and plants. 



And yet, in spite of all the books that have been 

 written, lectures delivered, lessons taught, and 

 museums erected, there is a tremendous amount 

 of ignorance existing both in country and town 

 concerning wild creatures. 



Those of you who have read The Bofs Own 

 Nature Book will remember that in one of the 

 earlier chapters there was included a number of 

 curious " howlers " sent in by schoolchildren in 

 response to Natural History questions that had 

 been asked them. Now I have before me some 

 more " howlers " by schoolboys, and as these are 



