CHAPTER XI 
THE INHERITANCE OF SONG 
to educate young birds, although ideas crop up 
here and there to the effect that education may be 
brought about without the schoolmaster. These ideas 
arise from the fact that, in the first place, the bird 
possesses certain inherited tendencies, and, secondly, he 
will sing his inherited song without ever having had a 
cock to guide him; for instance, if in his earliest youth 
he passes out of the breeder’s hands into those of a person 
who keeps him in absolute solitariness, leaves him 
entirely to himself, and so permits him to develop his 
song. 
One can take up an attitude on both standpoints, and 
correctly so; namely, ‘“‘ breeders need no schcolmaster 
for song development,” and, contrariwise, “breeders 
are bound to have schoolmasters if they wish to develop 
their song.” 
It is asserted in some quarters that birds from their 
earliest youth, even as nestlings, acquire already from 
the tutor the form of their song, but upholders of this 
theory seem to lose sight altogether of inborn tendencies. 
If this were so, it would be needless to concern ourselves 
about pedigree and inherited qualities, and all we need 
trouble about would be to look out for a good tutor. 
We know that we can only produce birds of high 
quality from high-class breeding stock, yet no one can 
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N O doubt exists of the necessity for a tutor in order 
