234 JOTTINGS ABOUT BIRDS. 



inherited complex mental powers in a bird which 

 we cannot find in the human race. If this theory 

 of Inherited Habit be true, there is just one question 

 I would wish to ask its propounders. How is it 

 that a human being is not able to build himself a 

 residence resembling in its architecture that adopted 

 by his own peculiar race an Esquimaux his hut, 

 an Indian his wigwam, a civilized man his house or 

 castle of this type of architecture or of that unless 

 he has some example to copy or some instruction 

 to guide him in his task ? As I said before, so I 

 now say again, " If man is so helpless, why should 

 not the poor lowly bird be the same ? " That birds 

 are possessed of wonderful powers of memory has 

 been proved over and over again, and not memory 

 alone, but powers of imitation too. Instance need 

 not be given here ; they are already known to 

 readers of these pages. On the other hand, what 

 proof do we possess in favour of blind instinct, 

 what data to support hereditary habit? none, 

 absolutely none whatever, all is inference, all the 

 purest hypothesis. What evidence we can gather 

 all tends to explode this theory of Inherited Habit. 

 Like most new theories it is being pushed too far, 

 asked to explain too much, and made to account for 

 phenomena which are much more plausibly ex- 



