6 BIRDS AND MAN 



on the little square of deal or canvas which formed 

 the back of the glass case. 



Listening to the talk of other visitors who were 

 making the round of the room, I heard many sincere 

 expressions of admiration : they were really pleased 

 and thought it all very wonderful. That is, in fact, 

 the common feeling which most persons express in 

 such places, and, assuming that it is sincere, the 

 obvious explanation is that they know no better. 

 They have never properly seen anything in nature, 

 but have looked always with mind and the inner 

 vision preoccupied with other and familiar things — 

 indoor scenes and objects, and scenes described 

 in books. If they had ever looked at wild birds 

 properly — that is to say, emotionally — the images of 

 such sights would have remained in their minds ; 

 and, with such a standard for comparison, these 

 dreary remnants of dead things set before them as 

 restorations and as semblances of life would have 

 only produced a profoundly depressing effect. 



We hear of the educational value of such exhibi- 

 tions, and it may be conceded that they might be 

 made useful to young students of zoology, by dis- 

 tributing the specimens over a large area, arranged 

 in scattered groups so as to give a rough idea of the 

 relationship existing among its members, and of all 



