344 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



though for certain kinds of observation and 

 experiment the cage, with its Umited area, is 

 essential. 



I wish briefly now to describe some of the more 

 obvious problems which it is possible to inves- 

 tigate under such conditions as I have set forth. 

 Chief among these I should place the opportunity 

 to consider an animal as an individual. The 

 fact that we do not consider wild animals as in- 

 dividuals is patent in our method of speaking of 

 them. Our names for them are the names of 

 groups of individuals that appear to us, on the 

 whole, alike. We call them robins, wood-thrushes, 

 bluebirds, and catbirds. This does not seem re- 

 markable, because our point of view of foreigners 

 of our own kind, human beings, emphasizes it. 

 In looking at a large body of Chinamen, I think 

 any one will fail, unless familiar with this race, 

 to individualize them. The conventional idea of 

 a Chinaman is of a race and not of individuals, 

 and this comes about because of our lack of oppor- 

 tunity to associate with Chinamen. It is precisely 

 the same with robins or bluebirds, catbirds or 

 wood-thrushes. 



A gentleman whom I had the pleasure of 

 knowing, and who was extremely fond of horses 

 and greatly interested in them, was so unfortunate 

 as to be unable to live in the country where he 

 might devote his time to the study of these ani- 



