136 TRANSACTIONS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
the species. Altogether a very successful day, notwithstanding the 
unfavourable weather. 
One thing especially noticeable to the entomologists during the 
week was the scarcity of humble bees. Only one specimen of a 
mountain form (Bombiis cogfiatus) was obtained. 
Whether or not the boys learned anything of entomology during 
this brief holiday I do not presume to say; certain it is that their 
humble teacher learned something about the natural history of boys, 
not the least noticeable characteristic being the delightful fact that 
boys are certainly not specialists. No living thing escaped their 
notice—rabbits, squirrels, birds, fishes, frogs, &c., received a fair 
share of their enthusiastic attentions, every creature they could lay 
hands on being promptly captured and presented for identification 
and explanation. Forky-tails and cockroaches from the tents and 
cook’s kitchen (and even specimens rescued from the soup itself!) 
were objects of unremitting attention. 
The enthusiasm of the boys knew no bounds, not even the 
ordinary one of sleep, and here let me hint to my esteemed friend, 
Mr. S. T. Ellison, that, whenever he decides to make the camp of 
the ''Boys’ Brigade his headquarters for sugaring, a willing staff of 
workers awaits his call to action. 
There can be no doubt that intense love of nature is dominant in 
every boy, and it is much to be desired that something be done to 
extend and encourage the interest in nature manifested by the boys 
of the Brigade, by forming a field-club, and recognising such as 
a permanent feature of the camp-out of the Brigade; and in this 
connection I would here like to quote an extract from the Atlantic 
Monthly^ entitled 
TEACHING BOYS THE LOVE OF NATURE. 
“ One of the surest ways of acquiring an influence over rough boys 
is to instil into their hearts a love of nature, or rather to develop 
that love which is dormant in most of us. But is it not better, along 
with such an education, to give also lessons in self-control; to teach 
them to find nests, study them, and even examine the eggs, without 
touching them; to gather for botanical purposes only as many flowers 
as are really necessary, leaving some to beautify the earth and to 
multiply their kind; to study trees without girdling the trunks; and 
to hunt for frog spawn without stoning the frogs ? A genuine love of 
nature means such sympathy with all nature’s children, animal and 
vegetable, that the lover learns to exercise a jealous care lest they 
suffer at his hands. With this proviso, let the street boys go into the 
fields and woods; the more of them the better.” 
“Where could we wish for a better opportunity of studying mother 
nature than in her own temple—the country itself? 
