INTRODUCTION 



Natural History is a great subject^ — a stupendous one. 

 It embraces all out-of-doors. Go where he will, the natur- 

 alist will find a wealth of material awaiting him. This 

 book is not in any sense a Natural History^ — it is merely 

 an "awakener" to bring to the attention of those who like 

 to ramble in field and wood, the many absorbingly interest- 

 ing things that await the investigator. 



There is nothing that will so develop the senses of per- 

 ception and the powers of observation as the study of the 

 hosts of animate and inanimate things that abound every- 

 where. I have often taken country walks with people who 

 certainly must miss more than half the joys of such outings. 

 The song of a Scarlet Tanager directly overhead attract- 

 ed not a single glance; the angry chipperings of a squirrel 

 were unheard; the beautiful canary-like song of the Indigo 

 Bunting might just as well not have been sung as far as 

 my companion was concerned; even the scare and surprise 

 at the thunderous noise of a Ruffed Grouse that flushed 

 from almost under foot did not interest him enough to 

 notice the nest-full of eggs that she had left. 



While such things are not all-important, it would appear 

 to me that a person alive enough to note the common things 

 that were happening about him would be better able to 

 cope with any situation in life that might occur, than one 

 blind to them. I believe every boy and every girl should 

 be educated to know the common birds, flowers, mammals, 

 insects, etc. I think it will not be a very distant day when 

 this recreative-stiidy will be a regular part of every school 

 course, even as it is now in a great nianv. 



