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Quote by Marston Bates

“Natural history is not equivalent to biology. Biology is the study of life. Natural history is the study of animals and plants-of organisms. Biology thus includes natural history, and much else besides.”

Quote by Marston Bates

Work

The Nature of Natural History

This book delves into the foundational concepts and methodologies of the study of natural history, offering insights into the discipline's evolution and its role in understanding the natural world. more

Author

Marston Bates
Marston Bates

Marston Bates was a renowned American author known for his profound insights into the relationship between humans and nature. His works often explore the interaction between humans and the natural environment, as well as the impact of this interaction on individuals and society. Bates' writing style is unique, blending literary and philosophical elements, which has had a profound impact on the literary world. more

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“One dictionary that I consulted remarks that "natural history" now commonly means the study of animals and plants "in a popular and superficial way," meaning popular and superficial to be equally damning adjectives. This is related to the current tendency in the biological sciences to label every subdivision of science with a name derived from the Greek. "Ecology" is erudite and profound; while "natural history" is popular and superficial. Though, as far as I can see, both labels apply to just about the same package of goods.”

“The world of organisms, of animals and plants, is built up of individuals. I like to think, then, of natural history as the study of life at the level of the individual-of what plants and animals do, how they react to each other and their environment, how they are organized into larger groupings like populations and communities.”

“A garden full of sweet odours is a garden full of charm, a most precious kind of charm not to be implanted by mere skill in horticulture or power of purse, and which is beyond explaining. It is born of sensitive and very personal preferences yet its appeal is almost universal.”