WhenIwastenyearsoldImademyfirstjourneytoEurope。MybirthdaywasspentinCologne，andinordertogivemeathoroughly“party“feelingIrememberthatmymotherputonfulldressformybirthdaydinner。IdonotthinkIgainedanythingfromthisparticulartripabroad。Icordiallyhatedit，asdidmyyoungerbrotherandsister。Practicallyalltheenjoymentwehadwasinexploringanyruinsormountainswhenwecouldgetawayfromourelders，andinplayinginthedifferenthotels。OuronedesirewastogetbacktoAmerica，andweregardedEuropewiththemostignorantchauvinismandcontempt。Fouryearslater，however，ImadeanotherjourneytoEurope，andwasoldenoughtoenjoyitthoroughlyandprofitbyit。
WhilestillasmallboyIbegantotakeaninterestinnaturalhistory。IrememberdistinctlythefirstdaythatIstartedonmycareeraszoologist。IwaswalkingupBroadway，andasIpassedthemarkettowhichIusedsometimestobesentbeforebreakfasttogetstrawberriesIsuddenlysawadeadseallaidoutonaslabofwood。
Thatsealfilledmewitheverypossiblefeelingofromanceandadventure。Iaskedwhereitwaskilled，andwasinformedintheharbor。IhadalreadybeguntoreadsomeofMayneReid’sbooksandotherboys’booksofadventure，andIfeltthatthissealbroughtalltheseadventuresinrealisticfashionbeforeme。AslongasthatsealremainedthereIhauntedtheneighborhoodofthemarketdayafterday。
Imeasuredit，andIrecallthat，nothavingatapemeasure，Ihadtodomybesttogetitsgirthwithafoldingpocketfoot-rule，adifficultundertaking。Icarefullymadearecordoftheutterlyuselessmeasurements，andatoncebegantowriteanaturalhistoryofmyown，onthestrengthofthatseal。This，andsubsequentnaturalhistories，werewrittendowninblankbooksinsimplifiedspelling，whollyunpremeditatedandunscientific。Ihadvagueaspirationsofinsomewayoranotherowningandpreservingthatseal，buttheynevergotbeyondthepurelyformlessstage。Ithink，however，Ididgettheseal’sskull，andwithtwoofmycousinspromptlystartedwhatweambitiouslycalledthe“RooseveltMuseumofNaturalHistory。”Thecollectionswereatfirstkeptinmyroom，untilarebelliononthepartofthechambermaidreceivedtheapprovalofthehigherauthoritiesofthehouseholdandthecollectionwasmoveduptoakindofbookcaseinthebackhallupstairs。Itwastheordinarysmallboy’scollectionofcurios，quiteincongruousandentirelyvaluelessexceptfromthestandpointoftheboyhimself。Myfatherandmotherencouragedmewarmlyinthis，astheyalwaysdidinanythingthatcouldgivemewholesomepleasureorhelptodevelopme。
TheadventureofthesealandthenovelsofMayneReidtogetherstrengthenedmyinstinctiveinterestinnaturalhistory。IwastooyoungtounderstandmuchofMayneReid，exceptingtheadventurepartandthenaturalhistorypart——theseenthralledme。Butofcoursemyreadingwasnotwhollyconfinedtonaturalhistory。Therewasverylittleeffortmadetocompelmetoreadbooks，myfatherandmotherhavingthegoodsensenottotrytogetmetoreadanythingIdidnotlike，unlessitwasinthewayofstudy。IwasgiventhechancetoreadbooksthattheythoughtIoughttoread，butifIdidnotlikethemIwasthengivensomeothergoodbookthatIdidlike。Therewerecertainbooksthatweretaboo。Forinstance，Iwasnotallowedtoreaddimenovels。Iobtainedsomesurreptitiouslyanddidreadthem，butI