Ornithology, Evolution, and Philosophy 123

14 1 Childhood and Youth
Fig.1.4. Ernst Mayr, 12 years old (left), and his brother Hans in Munich on 24 July 1916.
(Photograph courtesy of O. Mayr.)
she always thought that it was important that one ‘did one’s job.’ If science was
one’s job, one had to devote oneself to science. If the cataloguing and classifying of
the Rothschild Collection was one’s job, this is what one did without complaining.”
The three brothers represented rather different personalities. Otto (OM 3, 1901–
1985), 3 years older than Ernst, felt since the death of their father he had to give
advice to his younger brothers, which was not received with gratitude. Ernst
always wanted to excel over his older brother and worked very hard as a student,