352 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



and inadequate experiments of neither prolonged 

 or exhaustive character. Who has tried, or had the 

 opportunity to try, to answer by demonstration the 

 simple query propounded ? Where is the detailed 

 account given of a single definite experiment, or, 

 better still, a series that should afford a necessary 

 and final solution ? And yet, of the many prob- 

 lems indicated, this is one of the simplest, the least 

 complicated, and probably the easiest of solution 

 and demonstration. How can it be done ? 



Conceive a laboratory containing, among other 

 equipments, a series of sound-proof rooms. Take 

 a nest of robins, say there are four in the family, 

 let them be as young as possible. They are then 

 blind and naked. It occurs to your mind as you 

 read this how impracticable is the suggestion, 

 how delicate the organism, how ephemeral the 

 life ! In answer I have only to say that in June, 

 1897, 1 took four nests of young robins and reared 

 them by hand. From these I secured fourteen 

 individuals ; and as I am writing, late in June, 

 1902, they are all alive, and are vigorous, healthy 

 birds. This morning as I left my bird-room a 

 pair of them were raising, with great care, a brood 

 of young ones. 



Let us return to the consideration of the prob- 

 lem. Isolate the brood in one of the sound-proof 

 rooms and rear the birds by hand so that they do 

 not hear or see any other birds until they are at 



