552 General Notes. 
tures, his hopes and fears, the big dogs and other dangers from 
which he must have had narrow escapes, would form one of the 
most interesting chapters in natural history. 
ne other fact concerning “ Peter” also seems a little out of the 
way. I often take him on my shoulder for a horseback ride, and 
he seems to enjoy that sort of diversion very much, and is never 
afraid, while few other cats could be made to stay a single mo- 
ment.—Charles Aldrich, Webster City, lowa, March 9, 1884. 
THE TEN ComMANDMENTS.—1. If thou art not born an original 
investigator, thou hadst better teach or compile the works of thy 
brethren the original investigators. pi 
2. Thou shalt not say, lo! give me money and I will originally 
investigate ; for thy people knoweth that if thou canst not ongi- 
ally investigate without money, thou canst not do it with money 
3. If thou desirest to increase thy reputation by de 
. . M 
the reputation of thy jbrethren, know that this is not the object 
of original investigation. 
4. Thou shalt not pretend to discover the general laws of the 
earth and the things thereof until thou knowest the thing 
even the species. 
5. Thou shalt therefore not despise him who fornia : 
with the materials of thy thoughts, even him who descr! 
cies well. 
6. Thou shalt not believe that the bigness of 
ich he 
is proportioned to the smallness of the hole through which 
seëth the world and the things thereof. | f science 
. : 0 
7. Thou shalt not believe that the bigness of the man be 
is in proportion to the size and beauty of the pictures sa 
maketh. 
il, and believe 
8. Thou shalt not fall into the snare of the po to tor- 
that thou wilt wax great by the making of great 
ment thy people. Me 7 
9. Thou shalt not write obituaries until thou art 
in years. | ara 
10. Thou shalt not take the name of the bases 
Sciences in vain, for thy people knoweth that ın 
sirest to be a member thereof. _ 
Poetry In Drrams.—lIn a recent NATURALIS®». dividuals 
“poetry” said to have run through the minds gv 
dreams, and to have been afterwards recalled. ~ 
me” of an incident in my own experience. 
writing several “verses,” one of which I have a phate 
—or did I get hold of it by some other and forg 
(May, 
telligible, I believe that his account of his wanderings, his adven- 1 
the man of science l 
cademy % 
ardly thou de- : 
1 saw 0% 
“remit 
ce dreamed % 
s renee s t 
