2 1 4 Slimmer Studies of Birds and Books chap. 



or if we would study some one letter as a model both 

 of matter and manner, we may turn to one of those 

 famous and familiar ones which treat of the habits of 

 the Swallow tribe, and, bearing in mind how little 

 was really known of these birds in his day, take in 

 paragraph after paragraph with just such care and 

 close attention as he himself bestowed on his 

 favourites. White must never be read in a hurry ; 

 we must take his book in the spirit in which it was 

 written. There is a favourite phrase of his which 

 exactly expresses that spirit. "We should read it, as 

 it was written, with a nice observation and discern- 

 ment. Though I said that it is superfluous to quote, 

 I cannot refrain from the pleasure of copying a single 

 short paragraph by way of illustrating this " nice- 

 ness " of his ; I alight on it at random, and it strikes 

 me as giving us a little picture of the man himself 

 at his work, satiating his unlimited curiosity, and 

 bringing the large range of his knowledge to bear on 

 the examination of some special point. 



"At some certain times in the summer I had remarked 

 that swifts were hawking very low for hours together 

 over pools and streams; and could not help inquiring 

 into the object of their pursuit that induced them to 

 descend so much below their usual range. After some 

 trouble, I found that they were taking Fhryganece, Epliem- 

 erce, and Libellulce (cadew-flies, may-flies, and dragon-flies), 

 that were just emerged out of their aurelia state. I then 

 no longer wondered that they should be so willing to stoop 



