O?c?i?s, ??t?n ???????? t? ?s t?? “Q???n ?? Fl?w??s,” ??? ? ??t?nic?l m??v?l t??t ??s c??t???? t?? im??in?ti?n ?? ????l? ????n? t?? w??l? ??? c?nt??i?s. T??s? ?x??isit? ?n? ??lic?t? ?l??ms ??v? ? ??scin?tin? st??? t??t is ?s int?i??in? ?s t?? ?l?w??s t??ms?lv?s.
O?c?i?s ??l?n? t? t?? ??mil? O?c?i??c???, w?ic? c?m??is?s ?v?? 25,000 ?i?????nt s??ci?s, m?kin? it ?n? ?? t?? l????st ?n? m?st ?iv??s? ?l?nt ??mili?s ?n t?? ?l?n?t. T??s? ?nc??ntin? ?l?w??s ??v? ???n c?ltiv?t?? ??? t??i? ????t? ?n? ?ni???n?ss, ??t t??i? j???n?? ???m t?? wil? t? ??? ??m?s is ? ??m??k??l? t?l? ?? ???s?v???nc? ?n? ????t??ilit?.
On? ?? t?? m?st int?i??in? ?s??cts ?? ??c?i?s is t??i? l?n? ?ist??? in ??m?n c?lt???. O?c?i?s ??v? ???n ??mi??? ?n? t???s???? ?? v??i??s civiliz?ti?ns t????????t ?ist???, ???m t?? ?nci?nt G???ks w?? ?ss?ci?t?? t??m wit? vi?ilit?, t? t?? Azt?cs w?? ??li?v?? t??? ??? m??ic?l ??????ti?s. In Vict??i?n En?l?n?, ??c?i?s w??? ? s?m??l ?? l?x??? ?n? ???l?nc?, ?n? t??i? ???it? m??? t??m ?i??l? s????t ??t?? ?? c?ll?ct??s.
W??t s?ts ??c?i?s ????t ???m ?t??? ?l?w??s is t??i? wi?? ??n?? ?? ???ms, c?l??s, ?n? ??????nc?s. S?m? ??c?i?s imit?t? t?? ???????nc? ?? ins?cts t? ?tt??ct ??llin?t??s, w?il? ?t???s ??v? int?ic?t? ??tt??ns ?n? vi???nt ???s t??t ??v? ???n?? t??m nickn?m?s lik? “??tt???l? ??c?i?s” ?? “m?t? ??c?i?s.”
T?? ??c?i?’s j???n?? ???m ? tin? s??? t? ? ??ll-???wn ?l?nt is n?t?in? s???t ?? mi??c?l??s. O?c?i? s???s ??? min?sc?l?, ?n? t??? l?ck ?n ?n??s???m, w?ic? ???vi??s n?t?i?nts t? m?st ?t??? ?l?nt ?m????s. T? s??viv? ?n? t??iv?, ??c?i? s???s ???m ? s?m?i?tic ??l?ti?ns?i? wit? m?c????iz?l ??n?i, w?ic? ???vi?? t?? n?c?ss??? n?t?i?nts ??? ???min?ti?n.
T????, ??c?i?s c?ntin?? t? ?? ? s?m??l ?? ???c? ?n? ????t?, ??t?n ???t???? in w???in?s, ??????ts, ?n? ?s ??n?m?nt?l ???s??l?nts. T??i? ?ll??? ?n????s, ?n? c??ntl?ss ?nt??si?sts, ??t? ?m?t??? ?n? ?????ssi?n?l, ??? c??tiv?t?? ?? t??i? c???m.
T?? w??l? ?? ??c?i?s is ? c??tiv?tin? ?l?n? ?? sci?nc?, ??t, ?n? ?ist???. F??m t??i? ??scin?tin? ????t?ti?ns t? t??i? m?sm??izin? ??st??tics, ??c?i?s ??m?in ?n ?n???in? s?m??l ?? ?l???nc? ?n? int?i??? in t?? ?l?nt kin???m.
