264 



Bird - Lore 



formerly is reliable. I should say that such testimony underlies all the well- 

 known illusions which are today familiar to the psychologist through recent 

 experimental studies concerning the value of evidence on the witness stand. 

 The illusions of perception, of memory, of suggestion, of attention, play an 

 important role there. 



In this particular case, it may be taken as probable that, looking backward^ 

 the imagination exaggerates the pleasure received from such birds in the past 

 in comparison with the present experience. If the feelings were different, if 

 it were the question of dangerous birds, or of birds disliked for any other rea- 

 son, the suggestive illusion would probably be the opposite. The observers- 

 would have the impression that there are more birds today than formerly,, 

 because displeasures of the past are easily underestimated as compared with 

 present displeasures. I should not trust such impressionistic records at all. 



Very sincerely yours, 



Mr. a. H. Thayer. Hugo Munsterberg. 



Monadnock, N. H. 



FEMALE REDSTART, NEST AND YOUNG 

 Photogiaphed by Arthur A. Allen, Ithaca, N. Y. 



