THE SONG-SPARROW. 181 



Here the younger sons appear to have an advantage over 

 their elder brethren of the first brood, who are early sent 

 out to seek their fortunes, in that they enjoy the continued 

 example and counsel of their parents during many weeks 

 after they may be said to have " come of age," although 

 possibly they may chafe under the restraints of paternal 

 guidance, not to say old-fogyism, from which the young- 

 sters of the first brood are now gayly delivered; but it 

 would not be wonderful if it could be shown that the next 

 year this latter brood, profiting by distasteful discipline, ex- 

 celled in nest-building and in general prosperity over the 

 others, who had enjoyed less advantages in the way of home 

 education. Here is a new factor in the problem of natural 

 selection. 



