4 
THE NATURALIST’S GUIDE. 
certain species. But when the collector returns home wet 
and hungry, fatigued and disheartened, — as he now and 
then will, — let him not be discouraged. Try again ! the 
next day, and even the next, if need be, until the desired 
specimen is obtained. After all, the earnest naturalist will 
be amply rewarded for the exercise of patience and perse- 
verance by securing a rare specimen. 
The true naturalist never thinks of cold and disappoint- 
ment, of days of fatigue and hours of patient watching, 
when at last he holds in his hand the long-searched-for 
bird. Ample reward is this for all his former trials ; he is 
now ready to go into bog and through brier. And thus the 
enthusiastic naturalist travels on, not discouraged by toil 
and trouble, laughed to scorn by the so-called '‘practical” 
men, who are unable to appreciate his high motive. This, 
however, he forgets when in field or study he meets with 
the cordial greeting of his brother naturalist, as they with 
mutual interest relate their discoveries and adventures. 
To the travelling collector a few special hints are neces- 
sary. While visiting a remote region, but little known, 
one should not neglect to shoot numbers of every bird met 
with, even if they are common species at home, as they 
will not only furnish data on the distribution of the species, 
but they may present interesting characters peculiar to 
that locality. If a certain species appears common, do not 
delay collecting specimens, for peculiar circumstances may 
have brought them together in unusual numbers ; at some 
future time they may be rare. 
A well-trained dog is of great value while collecting 
birds, especially the Quails, Marsh Wrens, Sea-side and 
Sharp-tailed Finches, — in fact, all birds that are difficult to 
start in open meadows and grassy places. While search- 
ing thickets, great watchfulness should be observed, espe- 
cially in the autumn, when many birds have no conspicuous 
note, otherwise many of the more wary of the Warblers 
