Tha TOHfia HAT0KAI!ST: 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. H7. SEPTEMBER 2nd, 1882. Vol. 3. 



EXCURSIONS. 



WE have recently liad to decline 

 an unusual nuoiber of papers 

 which gave an account of excursions 

 to various interesting districts. Some 

 of these papers were well enough worth 

 printing elsewhere than in a natural 

 history magazine ; but as they contained 

 no natural history notes, were quite 

 unsuited to our columns notwithstand- 

 ing their merits. It has been in our 

 mind some time that we ought to give 

 a paper to help our young friends in 

 this matter, for with all the willingness 

 in the world to try again," we know 

 that repeated declined with thanks " 

 or "not suitable for our columns" are 

 very discouraging. We have sometimes 

 rather stretched a point rather than 

 reject a paper, as we are extremely 

 desirous to encourage beginners to 

 put their observations on paper. But 

 the merest tyro must see that it is not 

 sufficient for a natural history maga- 

 zine, when the account of an excursion 

 is confined to the times w hi ii I lie trains 

 started and arrived; how many miles 

 were walked, in how many hours ; 

 what towns or villages were passed 



through, and what objects of interest 

 they contained. We do not object to 

 all or any of this in passing, but they 

 must not be the only things, nor even 

 the main things written about. Of 

 course, we do not expect young natu- 

 ralists to observe with the practised 

 eyes of old naturalists, nor yet to know 

 so well how to describe their impres- 

 sions and observations, but there are 

 one or two things that should be re- 

 membered. First, what is the object 

 of your excursion ? Do you go to 

 collect insects, plants, shells, birds' 

 eggs, or what ? Most of our readers 

 are lepidopterists. Let us suppose 

 that your excursion is intended to in- 

 crease your knowledge and your collec- 

 tion of butterfhes and moths. What 

 then do you want to note ? Every 

 matter connected with the main object 

 of your excursion. The train service, 

 and distance to be travelled on foot, 

 are only interesting to others who may 

 desire to travel the same journey. 

 What you see, and what you obtain, are 

 the most important matters to note. 

 Never be above jotting down anything 

 that strikes you, even about the com- 



