SEXUAL SELECTION NESTING OF BIRDS. 235 



plained in other ways. I do not for one moment 

 doubt the potency of Inherited Habit in explaining 

 many simple functions of an organism, such as a 

 new-born infant sucking at the breast, a young 

 Duck taking to the water as soon as it is hatched, 

 &c.; but when we come to such a complicated pro- 

 ceeding as nest-building, a matter which requires 

 much thought, instruction, and some experience, 

 then I say Inherited Habit is carried too far. 



v Since writing my Essay on the Philosophy of 

 Birds' Nests and Eggs, a very interesting instance 

 has come under my notice, which seems absolutely 

 to prove that blind instinct, or, to term it by its 

 scientific equivalent, Inherited Habit, plays but a 

 minor part in the art of nest-building. I recorded 

 the instance in Nature (vol. xxxi., April 9, 1885) 

 as follows : " A remarkable instance, however, of 

 a changed mode of nest-building has just been 

 brought to my notice by Mr. W. Burton, the well- 

 known naturalist of Wardour Street. Some time 

 ago his brother (now employed at the Museum at 

 Wellington, N. Z.) took out to New Zealand a 

 number of young birds of our common native 

 species, with the object of introducing them to 

 the Antipodes. Amongst them were some young 

 Chaffinches (Fringilla cce/ebs). These were turned 



