S HABITS OF OBSERVATION. 



Probably you have been to London, and doubtless 

 you were astonished when first you saw its great 

 sights. What did you like best ? Perhaps you can 

 hardly tell, for you saw so many things to interest 

 you. You saw its long streets with the shops, and 

 crowds of busy people ; and you saw its grand build- 

 ings — Westminster Abbey, and St. Paul's Cathedral, 

 and the Houses of Parliament, and the Palace of the 

 Queen ; and you saw the river Thames, and the 

 bridges, and the great ships. And then, perhaps, 

 you went to the Zoological Gardens and saw the 

 elephants, and lions, and tigers, and the monkeys, and 

 the birds ; and when you returned home you thought 

 you had never before seen anything so wonderful. 



Yes ; but every day, and all around you in the 

 country, are many things to be seen quite as beautiful 

 and wonderful, if only you will open your eyes to 

 look for them, and take trouble to learn the nature, 

 history, and use of what you see. 



There is a story of one who is called ' the Scotch 

 Naturalist,' — but who was only a poor and very needy 

 shoemaker, — who loved all he saw in Nature so much 

 that, after a long and hard day's work at his trade, he 

 used to go out for long walks of many miles into the 

 fields and moors, and by the rivers, and stay out all 

 night, lying perhaps in cold and wet, on purpose to 

 observe the habits of some little animals, or to collect 

 specimens of plants and insects to take home and 

 preserve in the wonderful collection which he made. 

 By night, as well as by day, he saw wonders in many 

 things which other people thought little of, and great 

 and fresh wonders continually. 



