26 
NATURE STUDY 
A great deal of collecting has been done, desultory and other- 
wise, hut comparatively little observing ; much of this collect- 
ing has been done by travellers, who just captured and passed 
on. What is now needed are facts, and that goal, with the 
organisation afforded by the Society, should be within our 
grasp. Be field naturalists first, the technical description of 
species and the scientific co-ordination of the facts will come 
later ; the details of the life-history of the fauna and flora, great 
and small, are very imperfectly known, and cannot be learnt until 
an army of observers has been patiently working for some time. 
Do not think that the ‘ spade work ’ will prove dull or 
dissatisfying, such is not the case ; the habit once acquired, 
it is amazing with what speed the ladder of knowledge can 
be climbed. 
There is no freemasonry more complete than that conferred 
by a common interest in nature, and the greatest scientist 
bows with respect to the accurate observations of the man in 
the field ; so do not think that the work of a tyro is likely to 
be scorned, send in your notes, and as long as they are accurate 
and accompanied by details of place and date, they are bound 
to be of value, for remember that the success and status of 
the Society depend upon the quality of the information 
published in its bulletin or journal, and that solely depends 
upon the zealous co-operation of the members. The thing 
to realise is that in this country there is work to do at your 
very door ; it is so different in places like England, where men 
have to go train journeys of many miles to find collecting 
grounds, and there are many other obstacles to research, such 
as the law of trespass and what-not. 
One of the great obstacles to nature study in this country, 
both at present and for years to come, is the scattered state 
of the students and the consequent difficulty of frequently 
meeting and discussing questions, but this has not prevented 
success being attained in other similar countries, and we must 
not be discouraged on that account ; advice will always be 
freely given by members of the Committee and others, and 
every year matters will improve in this respect. 
A few words with regard to collecting : The prime factor 
in success in this branch is not to become too diffuse ; if a 
