74 Heredity and Instinct 



sorts of performance, with illustrations which show their 

 separate utilities. 



1. Reflex and instinctive actions are less subject to 

 derangement. Emotion, shock, temporary ailment, hesita- 

 tion, aboulia, lack of information, etc., may paralyze the 

 intelligence ; and instinct and reflex action may keep the 

 creature alive in the meantime. What keeps dogs alive, 

 and able to meet the demands made upon them, after 

 extended ablation of the brain cortex ? 



2. Reflexes are quicker. Suppose instead of winking 

 reflexly when a foreign body approaches the eye, I waited 

 to see whether it was near enough to be dangerous, or 

 even shut my eye as quickly as I could ; I should join the 

 ranks of the blind in short order. 



3. Reflex actions are more deep-seated, and arose ge- 

 netically first. What keeps the infant alive and in touch 

 with his environment before the voluntary fibres are de- 

 veloped ? This genetic utility alone would seem critical 

 enough to justify most of the genuine reflexes of the 

 organism, supplemented, of course, in the human case, 

 by the mother ! 



4. Intelligent actions are centrally stimulated. This 

 means that brain processes release the energy which goes 

 out in movement, and that something earlier must stimu- 

 late the brain processes. This something is association in 

 some shape between present stimulating agencies in the en- 

 vironment and memories with pleasures or pains. In other 

 words, certain central processes intervene between the 

 outside stimulus and the release of the energies of move- 

 ment. In reflexes, however, no such central influence 

 intervenes. The stimulus in the environment passes 

 directly is reflected into the motor apparatus. Hence 



