. Bulletin. Geography. APPENDIX Methods of Study Methods used in the study of environment, while not new, involve the methods of several sciences. To determine the gross features, the methods of dynamic and historic geology and physiography, or of plant ecology, must be applied. For further analysis the methods of meteor- ology and special methods for measuring the environment physically and chemically must be employed, where other sciences have given us no data and method (see Clements). These consist of methods of studying the rate of evaporation, water content of the soil, and the applicati
. Bulletin. Geography. APPENDIX Methods of Study Methods used in the study of environment, while not new, involve the methods of several sciences. To determine the gross features, the methods of dynamic and historic geology and physiography, or of plant ecology, must be applied. For further analysis the methods of meteor- ology and special methods for measuring the environment physically and chemically must be employed, where other sciences have given us no data and method (see Clements). These consist of methods of studying the rate of evaporation, water content of the soil, and the application of meteorological methods to climatic details. The special chemical methods, aside from chemical methods of the study of the soil, consist of detection of the presence of excretory products in the soil or water. The best discussion of special methods is given in the references (35a, 43, 69. 74, 76, 77, 117, 118, 121, 124, 125, 129, 130, 131). METHODS OF STUDYING ANIMALS IN THE FIELD AND LABORATORY a) Observation.—One important thing in ecological study is simply to sit quietly and watch animals, and record what they do. This requires much time, and the best observers often sit for hours before making the desired observations, but the reward is always adequate. Some good ecological knowledge has thus been acquired. One difficulty is encoun- tered in this work. When the observer is watching one animal whose actions are not of especial interest at that moment another animal often suddenly appears and does something which seems of importance or which is of especial interest. The observer's attention is diverted from its original object of observation. "Which shall I continue to watch?" is often asked by the student. No definite rules can be laid down. In general it is probably better to follow the original object. The answer depends entirely upon the relative ease with which the two animals before the worker can be observed. The beginner cannot answer this question a
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