CAPACITY FOR EDUCATION. 243 



be no mental distraction on the pupil's part ; lie must give his 

 attention wholly to his lessons for the moment. In particular 

 there must be no disturbing- sensorial impressions, espe- 

 cially of vision or hearing ; all sights and sounds, save those 

 with which it is desired to impress the pupil, must for the time 

 be rigidly excluded. And this is so well known to trainers, 

 for instance, of song birds, that they resort sometimes to 

 cruel methods of securing the end desired. Hence the prac- 

 tice of artificially blinding song birds. Hence the fact that 

 in confinement song birds learn singing better than they do 

 at liberty. There are, therefore, favourable and unfavourable 

 times and places, circumstances or conditions, for successful 

 instruction. 



The use and disuse of faculties, as of organs, produce the 

 same results as in man, of increased or diminished power. 

 Hence the advantage and importance of continual exercise 

 of certain acquired aptitudes or faculties, an importance or 

 necessity recognised sometimes by the animals themselves in 

 their aiming at perfection or excellence for instance, in song. 

 Sporting dogs forget their special accomplishments from 

 want of practice (Walsh). 



Discrimination must be shown in adapting the form of 

 training or teaching to the nature of the animal to be taught. 

 It is obvious that a perfectly wild animal requires more care 

 and trouble than the offspring of a domesticated one, which 

 has the advantage of certain inherited aptitudes. And the 

 same comparative difficulty exists in the case of mature or 

 elderly animals and those that are naturally stupid or unin- 

 telligent. 



The influence of example and of imitation is illustrated 

 in all forms of upbringing of the lower animals, as of man 

 himself. Of him it was long ago truly said 



Exemplo plusquam ratione vivimus. 



Hence the importance of placing before the young animal a 

 proper model, and hence also the importance of man's own 

 behaviour before it being guarded and becoming. 



It is always important that there should be a mutual un- 

 derstanding between teacher and pupil, who frequently become 



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