ORGANIC MOVEMENTS 59 



others that it is not only the so-called hemispheres of the brain 

 of vertebrates that are related to experience. Frogs and 

 pigeons at least, and probably dogs also, may acquire new 

 experience, or may at least make use of older experience, 

 even after the total extirpation of those \ hemispheres. No 

 doubt there is less experience shown after the extirpation 

 than before it ; but experience is by no means lost. Thus 

 we see that other parts of the central nervous system 

 besides the hemispheres may also be in relation to 

 experience. This holds for all so-called lower brain centres, 

 and perhaps for the spinal cord also. 



What the real meaning of these facts is, must also be 

 reserved for a future discussion. And now we are prepared 

 to enter minutely into an analysis of the process of acting 

 itself. 



/3. THE FIRST CRITERION OF ACTING. THE HISTORICAL 



BASIS OF REACTING 



The phonograph is a well-known machine the reactions 

 of which depend on its individual history in their utmost 

 specificity : the phonograph may give forth what it has 

 received in the past. Now we have said already provision- 

 ally that the individual history is one of the most important 

 features concerned in the characteristics of acting. Is. for 

 this reason acting in any way comparable to the reactions 

 of a machine such as the phonograph ? With this question 

 we may fitly begin our analysis of the process of " action." 



If we at first consider the acting organism as a whole, 

 without laying any special stress on what is called its 

 nervous system or its brain, we may say that the specificity 



