THE NATURALIST'S VISION 341 



In this story I have not attempted to more 

 than suggest the result in the case in ques- 

 tion ; but it is my purpose in this chapter to 

 summarize it in some detail. I have related that, 

 during a certain period, about 1884, when in Ari- 

 zona, the opportunity was embraced to have a 

 variety of different kinds of creatures as pets, and 

 it does not seem essential even to recapitulate 

 this. Following the narrative through the sub- 

 sequent time passed in Florida, it is plain that, 

 besides wild animals as pets, another factor com- 

 manded attention ; for here animals were kept 

 for a definite object. To study their growth and 

 development, if nothing more, was my aim at 

 that time. During the summer of 1895, through 

 an accident, this interest began to assume more 

 definite and concrete proportions. Late in June, 

 while collecting one day, I killed a bird that flew 

 by me. It passed rapidly, and I was not quite 

 sure as to its exact identity. On taking it in my 

 hand I found it was a female Baltimore oriole. 

 Looking at the bird, I at once discovered that it 

 probably had a nest in the vicinity, and that it 

 was feeding young ones. By no means sure that 

 the male bird would take upon himself the duties 

 of both parents, I determined to look after the 

 young, if the nest was not too difificult to find. 

 This proved to be an easy task, for it was in the 

 tree nearest me. There were three young birds 



