122 THE WHENCE AND THE WHITHER OF MAN 



removed from the perception of truth and right. But 

 some insects and birds apparently possess this percep- 

 tion and the corresponding emotion in no low degree. 

 The colors of flowers seem to exist mainly for the at- 

 traction of insects to insure cross-fertilization, and cer- 

 tain insects seem to prefer certain colors. But you 

 may say that these afford merely sense gratification 

 like that which green affords to our eyes or sugar to 

 our tastes. 



But does not the grouping of colors in the flower 

 appeal to some aesthetic standard in the mind of the 

 insect ? "What of the tail of the peacock ? Its irides- 

 cent rings and eyes evidently appeal to something in 

 the mind of the female. Do form and grouping min- 

 ister to pure sense gratification? What of the song 

 of the thrush ? Does not the orderly and harmonious 

 arrangement of notes and cadences appeal to some 

 standard of order of arrangement, and hence idea of 

 harmony, in the mind of the bird's mate ? 



Now, I grant you readily that the A B C of this 

 training is mere sense gratification at the sight of 

 bright colors. Most insects and birds have probably 

 not advanced much beyond this first lesson. Savages 

 have generally stopped there or reverted to it. But 

 any appreciation of form and harmonious arrangement 

 of cadence and colors seems to me at least to demand 

 some perception which we must call aesthetic, or dan- 

 gerously near it. But here you must judge carefully 

 for yourselves lest you be misled. For remember, 

 please, that those schemes of psychology farthest re- 

 moved from, and least readily reconcilable to, the theory 

 of evolution maintain that perception of beauty is the 

 work of the rational faculty, which also perceives truth 



