INSTINCT 



prove that song is educational and not in- 

 stinctive. 



Go into the woods inhabited by the wood- 

 thrush, and sit down and listen. It will soon 

 be evident that you have invited yourself to 

 a bird's singing school. 



In a party of summer residents from Mag- 

 nolia, there was one lady who told me she 

 had no patience with my views on song. That 

 a bird would sing, anyway, because it had 

 a throat adapted to song. She said that when 

 I heard birds sing out of season, I would claim 

 that they were teaching their young, when in 

 fact they were only exercising their voices 

 without a thought of teaching. When they 

 were ready to return to Magnolia, I offered 

 to show them a path through the woods, a 

 new way to them. When I had reached a spot 

 where I knew there was a family of wood- 

 thrushes, I ordered a rest. When we had 

 become quiet the old thrush tuned up and 

 gave us the song. It is a short song, but 

 loud, clear, and flute-like. There was no 

 wind, and the song appeared to be sweeter and 

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