X 
PLAN OF STUDY. 
a story circulated among village gossips, is more apt to gain in 
falsehood than in truth, as it passes from one to another ; but, 
in field study, we go at once to the fountain-head, and obtain 
our facts pure and unalloyed by the theories and opinions of 
previous observers. By pursuing such a method, three of the 
chief prejudices which Lord Bacon has pointed out as sources of 
human error are avoided, and the only danger is from what he 
quaintly denominates prejudices of the den, [Idola specus^*) mean- 
ing thereby the imperfections of an individual’s intellect, whether 
natural to him or produced by education. Here it is that the 
utility of books becomes obvious. You witness, in a field excur- 
sion, a certain incident or peculiarity of action in some animal, , 
which strikes you as worthy of being chronicled in your note 
book. You pay a visit, for example, to the nest of a dabchick 
or grebe, [Podiceps^) which you had discovered some days before 
among reeds at the edge of a pond, and are surprised*to find that 
the eggs have disappeared; but much more so, on taking up 
some of the rude materials of the nest, to see the eggs snugly 
concealed beneath. The question immediately arises — did the 
mother bird thus cover the eggs herself, and if so, for what pur- 
pose was it done ? If you be not too impatient (a state of mind 
exceedingly adverse to accuracy and originality) you will endea- 
vour to ascertain whether the covering of the eggs was peculiar 
to this individual, or common to the species, by repeated obser- 
vation as frequently as opportunity olfers ; oiy if patience fail you 
for this, such books as you have access to may be consulted. Look 
into Linneeus, and all you find is, that this bird ‘^‘builds a floating 
nest of grass and reeds Latham says the nest is made of water 
plants among the reeds, and close to the surface of the water — 
floating independent.” I Willughby, Bay, and Brisson, say not 
a word about the nest. Fleming says the nest is in marshes of 
aquatic plants, and made so as to float.” § “They breed,” says 
Goldsmith, “ among reeds and flags, in a floating nest, kept 
steady by the weeds and margin.” H They “construct their nest,” 
says Griffith, evidently copying Temminck, “ with rushes, &c.. 
^ See Bacon’s Novum Orgaiuim, i. 41, &c.; and De Aiigmentis Scien- 
tiarum, iv. 
f Turton’s Linn. i. 356. j General History of Birds, x. 22 — 24. 
§ Brit. Animals, page 131. H Animated Nature, ii. 286. 
