CH.Xv1] OUTDOOR AND INDOOR ORNITHOLOGY 395 
a bird is only a flying machine illustrating profound 
mathematical principles. There is no reason why an 
amateur should be in bonds to any extreme form 
of specialisation. The amateur ornithologist should 
attack all parts of his subject in succession, or two 
or three parts at once, and he is certain to find that 
he is not losing so much in depth as he is gaining in 
breadth. All that he learns of one part of his subject 
is sure to throw light upon another. 
Out of Doors. 
It is best to begin with outdoor work. It is much 
more likely to generate a love of the subject than 
the alternative method. Instead of learning at the 
outset by dissection that a Wood Pigeon has a very 
strong gizzard and a Hawk nothing worthy of the 
name, it is much better first to gain the knowledge 
that a Hawk has only to digest flesh, while the pigeon 
has to grind acorns, and afterwards, when you can 
see the meaning of it, learn the difference in anatomy. 
But when a good start has been made, the two 
methods may well go hand-in-hand. A very good 
plan is to take a field-glass and look carefully at 
every bird that will submit to be looked at and not 
mistake it for a double-barrelled gun. The habit of 
observation wants cultivating. From our early years 
we are taught to acquire knowledge almost exclu- 
sively from books and lessons and lectures, so that, 
dulled by much reading and passive listening, we 
are slow in picking up facts direct from nature. 
Especially in a naturalist is power of observation 
