1 18 Thornley : Equipinent of the Field Naturalist. 



excellent thing for a time to work at one group of living things, 

 this need not be done at the cost of totally neglecting all others. 

 The conclusions gathered from a special study are usually more 

 sound and valuable when that special study has been preceded 

 by a good general knowledge of the whole subject, and not only 

 of one branch of it. Which of us, in reading those charming 

 letters of Gilbert White, the prince of naturalists, does not feel 

 that the fascination of them springs from the full and generous 

 knowledge with which his mind was stored. Suppose he had 

 become a mere collector of beetles, what would the world have 

 lost? I say, therefore, to the field naturalist, read all you can 

 until the purpose of your study becomes clear to you. Our age 

 is rich in books telling us how to ^o to work. Need it be said 

 that every naturalist should provide himself with a good general 

 ' Natural History ' ? There are so many that it is almost per- 

 plexing to recommend one before another. For those who have 

 time and leisure I would recommend a little study during the 

 winter months of some of the small primers of botany, zoology, 

 or biology. It is surprising what a lot one can learn in this 

 way, even if one can only get in half an hour's reading a day : 

 but the present craze for reading novels and magazines is much 

 against serious reading of all kinds. The general reading I lay 

 stress upon, because it is a most important thing- ; without it 

 the mind fails to see in their proper perspective the facts which 

 it has learnt. How many crude and absurd theories have been 

 floated through this defect of general knowledge ! Inquire into 

 the educational history of our most noted specialists, and it will 

 be found that most of them are men of wide and varied learning. 

 The great danger of the educational system of the present day 

 is that it tends to specialise too early, just as the weakness of 

 the old education lay in its generality and too great diffusiveness. 

 Once more every naturalist should keep a diar}'. A brief 

 entry of anything of interest is easily made, and the habit of 

 thus noting things is readily acquired. The value of such a 

 diary is very great. It should alwa)'s be at hand, for interesting 

 things have a trick of happening at most inconvenient times. 

 I need hardly state that any specimens acquired should be at 

 once labelled, localised, and dated. The neglect of this simple 

 but necessary rule has caused me lately a great deal of dis- 

 appointment and almost irritation. I have seen many collections, 

 but the bulk of them have been practically useless to me. They 

 consisted of mere accumulations of insects from almost every- 

 where, and their scientific value was exceedingly small. 



Naturalist, 



