accomplished thereby. Paley says an instinct is a propensity prior to experience, and independent of instruction. Sir William Hamilton goes farther, and defines instinct as an agent which performs blindly and ignorantly a work of intelligence and knowledge.

Naturalists have grouped the principal instincts of animals as— First. Those dependent, immediately or remotely, upon incitations from the alimentary canal (e. g., mode of seeking, capture, seizing, storing, or swallowing of food, and some cases of migration). The racoon, for instance, is very fond of crabs, and evinces very extraordinary cunning in their capture. When in quest of them, it will stand by a stream and hang its tail over into the water. The crab, mistaking the tail for food, seizes it, and is immediately jerked out of the water by the beast that feels the pinch. The coon then takes the crab a little distance from the water's edge, carefully gets it crossways in his mouth so as to avoid the nippers, and forthwith devours its food. All this is purely instinctive.

Second. Those dependent upon incitations from the generative functions, such as pairing, care of young, etc.

Third. Those dependent upon more general impressions, such as hybernation and migration. There is no reflection in acts springing from these instincts. There may be more or less of memory, but each step is urged on by inward impulse. Brute creatures, says Fuller, equal, if not exceed men, in a bare retentive memory. Through how many labyrinths of woods, without other clue of thread than natural instinct, doth the hunted hare return to her muce! How doth the little bee, flying into several meadows and gardens, sipping of many cups, yet never intoxicated, through an ocean of air, steadily steer herself home, without help of card or compass! But these cannot play an after-game, and recover what they have forgotten, which is done by the meditation of discourse. While instinctive acts may lead to definite ends, animals are not supposed to have any conception of what those ends are.

Dr. W. Allison gives three leading peculiarities of these acts, as follows:

First. They are always performed by individuals of the same species in the same manner.

Second. No experience or education is required in order that the

different voluntary efforts requisite for these actions may follow one another with unerring precision.

Third. They are frequently performed, whether necessary and useful, or not, as when the bee stores up honey in a climate where there is no winter, or a hen sets upon pebbles or false eggs to hatch them.

Instinct is generally complete at birth, or soon afterwards, and is incapable of much improvement. The pig has its wits as soon as it enters the world, and so has the chicken. These, and other animals, have no sooner entered upon life, than they instinctively start in quest of food.

In cases where instinct develops only after some days or weeks of life, it is not the result of learning, but natural impulse developed in its own proper time.

Instincts, unlike the higher intellectual faculties of man, come and go in the order of life, like external events and changes. Animals learn by instinct what they did not know, and forget the instinctive knowledge they never learned, when such knowledge is no longer of use to them. Instinct, therefore, is an accommodation of animal nature to the circumstances and demands of life.

Here are a few instances in which instinct appears nearly akin to reason: At a fox chase it was observed that a very strong fox, closely pressed by the hounds, perceiving his danger, sprang over a high wall and crept close under it on the other side, until the hounds leaped the wall and had gone a few feet, when Reynard sprang back again over it, and having thus ingeniously given his pursuers the slip, got safely away.

One of the magistrates in Harbor Grace, in Newfoundland, had an old dog of the regular web-footed species peculiar to this island, who was in the habit of carrying a lantern before his master at night, as steadily as the most attentive servant could do, stopping short when his master made a stop, and proceeding when he saw him disposed to follow. If his master was absent from home, on the lantern being fixed to his mouth, and the command given, "Go, fetch thy master," he would immediately set off and proceed directly to the town, which lay at the distance of more than a mile

from the place of his master's residence; he would then stop at the door of every house which he knew his master was in the habit of frequenting, and laying down his lantern, growl and strike the door, making all the noise in his power until it was opened; if his master was not there, he would proceed farther in the same manner, until he had found him. If he had accompanied him only once into a house, this was sufficient to induce him to take that house in his round.

Bisset, the famous animal teacher, took in hand two monkeys, as pupils, one of which he taught to dance and tumble on the rope, whilst the other held a candle in one paw for his companion, and with the other played a barrel organ. These antic animals he also instructed to play several fanciful tricks, such as drinking to the company, riding and tumbling on a horse's back, and going through several regular dances with a dog. Being a man of unwearied patience, three young cats were the next objects of his tuition. He taught these domestic tigers to strike their paws in such directions on the dulcimer as to produce several regular tunes, having musicbooks before them, and squalling at the same time in different keys or tones, first, second, and third, by way of concert. He taught canary birds, linnets, and sparrows to spell the name of any person in company, to distinguish the hour and minute of time, and play many other surprising fancies. He trained six turkey cocks to go through a regular country dance; but in doing this confessed he adopted the Eastern method, by which camels are made to dance by heating the floor. In the course of six months' teaching, he made a turtle fetch and carry like a dog; and having chalked the floor and blackened its claws, could direct it to trace out any given name in the company. He trained a dog and cat to go through many amazing performances, and succeeded in rendering a pig somewhat tractable; but the best of his efforts only demonstrated the truth that in animal mentality there is a narrow limit beyond which the capabilities cannot be forced. Many apparently conscious actions in animals are not due to mind, but to the mechanism of the nervous system influenced by external causes.

Man has some instincts in common with the brute, and some, perhaps, that are peculiar to himself. He recognizes character more

diferent voluntary effore requisite for actio another with nerving precision.

Thrt. They are frequently performed whethe north, or not, as when the beers 12 dey in here is no water, or a hen sets upon pences

Instinct is generally empiece a birn, ea je mazalle of men ingevement. They w it enters the world, and has the ch anus, have no super entered upon Li, 2. start in quest of food

In rears where instint develops only after of his, it is not the result of learning, bos n oper in its own proper time.

Instinte, unlike the higher intellectual fami and go in the order of life, like external even Ammais learn by instinct what they did not kn the instintive knowledge they never learned, when. bulge is no longer of use to them. Instinct, there armmodation of animal nature to the circumstances a of life.

Here are a few instances in which instinct appears near! rasm. At a for chase it was observed that a very str illy proved by the hounds, perceiving his danger, spr a high wall and erept close under it on the other side, t. hounds longest the wall and had gone a few feet, when R oprame In to main it, and having thus ingeniously giv parenters the ship, got safely away.

།།།།