CLOSE OBSERVATION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVII, Issue XVI, 17 October 1896, Page 507

CLOSE OBSERVATION.

This is the secret of the power of all great naturalists. They see what escapes the observation of others, and are able to discover the meaning of slight differences that ordinary men have not noticed at all. A young artist once called upon Audubon, the great student of birds, to show him drawings and paintings. Audubon, after examining the work, said : • I like it very much, but it is deficient. You have painted the legs of this bird nicely, except in one respect. The scales are exact in shape and colour, but you have not arranged them correctly as to number.’ ‘ I never thought of that,’ said the artist. ‘ Quite likely,’ said Audubon ‘ Now upon this upper ridge of the partridge’s leg there are just so many scales. You have too many. Examine the legs of a thousand partridges, and you will find the scales the same in number.’ The lesson shows how Audubon became great -by patient study of small things. There was company in the schoolroom that morning when the beginning class in geography was called. To the question, ‘What is a cape?’ every hand went up. ‘ Nannie may tell,’ said the teacher. ‘ A cape is a point of land objecting to the water.’