PRELIMINARY QUALIFICATIONS, 805 
analogies throughout the animal kingdom, until he at 
length gains a full conviction of the paucity and sim- 
plicity of nature's laws, amidst the countless variety of 
her forms and modifications. 
(370.) The two departments of study here sketched, 
as pursued by the practical and the scientific naturalist, 
are brought before the reader, not for the purpose of 
vaunting the superiority of one over the other, but that 
he should clearly understand their nature, and make up 
his mind, at the outset, which path of enquiry he will 
pursue. But, indeed, if he be not frightened by the 
difficulties attending an enlarged knowledge of the 
science, he may combine both these trains of enquiry, in 
moderation, without the smallest detriment either to one 
or the other. He may observe in the fields, and study 
in his closet ; and this is usually done by all the rising 
naturalists of the present day. Those who are satisfied 
with being mere amateurs, may confine their researches 
to what they can learn in the open air; yet even these 
would find a far superior delight in their favourite pur- 
suit, by viewing it in a more intellectual and philosophic 
spirit : just as a person who understands the mechanism 
of a watch derives much more pleasure from knowing 
the relations of its parts, than he did when he merely 
viewed it as an ingenious assemblage of wheels and 
springs. 
(371.) There are certain qualifications, however, 
which, if not already possessed, must nevertheless be 
acquired by both these classes of observers. . These we 
shall now briefly touch upon, and then proceed to speak 
of others more particularly applicable to these separate 
paths of enquiry. 
(372.) Accuracy of observation is one of the first 
qualifications which the student should acquire. A 
quick and discerning eye, accustomed, by practice, to 
distinguish differences which an ordinary observer would 
overlook, is absolutely essential. The most perfect 
acquaintance with all the systems that were ever in- 
vented, and with all the theories that have ever been pro- 
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