lOO The Nahiralist in La Plata. 



to fljj it is because the impression produced in its senses by tho 

 approaching man entails, through an incipiently reflex action, a 

 partial excitement of all those nerves which in its ancestors had 

 been excited under the like conditions ; that this partial excitement 

 has its accompanying jjainful consciousness, and that the vague 

 painful consciousness thus arising constitutes emotion proper — 

 emotion undecomposdble into specific experiences, and, therefore, 

 seemingly homogeneous." (Essays, vol. i. p. 320.) 



It is comforting to know that the " unavoidable inference " is, 

 after all, erroneous, and that the nervous system in birds has not 

 yet been organically altered as a result of man's persecution ; for 

 in that case it would take long to undo the mischief, and we 

 should be indeed far from that " better friendship " with the 

 Children, of the air which many of us would like to see. 



