PLAN OF STUDY. 
XVll 
and the lake, are never searched in vain; each have their peculiar 
inhabitants, that enliven the scene and please the philosophic eye. 
Ten thousand warblers cheer the day, and one 
The live-long’ night ; nor these alone, whose notes 
Niee-finger’d art must emulate in vain ; 
But eawing rooks and kites that swim sublime 
In still repeated circles, screaming loud ; 
The jay, the pie, and e’en the boding owl, 
That hails the rising moon, have charms for me.-— Cowper.” 
Recent observations, however, by extending our views, have 
shown that in several instances our author was led into mistakes. 
Although I have corrected many of these, it does not follow that 
all my corrections are themselves correct, for subsequent observa- 
tion may in the same way prove at least some of them to be 
wrong, as the youngest naturalist who will pursue the plan I have 
recommended may perhaps discover, if he examine Nature for 
himself, and not allow his thoughts to be trammelled by the lead- 
ing-strings either of the present work or of any other. The 
specimen of discrepancies which I have given above in the in- 
stance of the grebe’s nest, proves most strongly indeed that it 
is unsafe to trust even to what are esteemed the best books and 
the highest authorities ; for most authors occasionally indulge in 
fancying facts, instead of proving them by observation. 
The alphabetical order also of this work will be more conve- 
nient for the proposed plan of study, than if it had been arranged 
according to any particular classification, as the subjects required 
may be turned to at once, the mind being left free and unfettered 
by systems, which are so frequently framed on mistaken principles 
or imaginary theories. , But let me be understood: I do not 
mean to discard systems, I only wish to place them in what ap- 
pears to me to be their true light, and to guard the young natu- 
ralist from the very prevalent and mischievous error, of considering 
system as the only and exclusive end of study ; an error exten- 
sively propagated by the variety of system-makers and the indo- 
lence or the party-spirit of their disciples ; which leads them to 
think every thing worthless and wrong that does not tally with 
their classed divisions, or partake of their technical diction. 
^ Introduction to First Edit. p. xli, 
b 
