Blunders in Bird-Nesting. 81 



enough to permit the giving of advice, and 

 improvement can lie only in the one direction 

 of experience. I think there is satisfactory 

 evidence of this, but it is of such a character as 

 not to be convincing when put upon the printed 

 page. A good deal of our ornithological knowl- 

 edge must be the result of personal observa- 

 tion, and, while this is ever food for thought 

 and a delightful subject of contemplation when 

 we happen to be alone, its bloom is rubbed off, 

 its significance is lessened, its value is de- 

 preciated, when subjected to the criticism of 

 others who have not seen as you have seen, or, 

 as so often happens, have not seen at all. 



