On the Intellectual Faculties of Brute Animals, 499 



of that faculty in man. It resembles the dawning of intellect 

 in the infant mind previously to the acquirement of speech." 

 It would be useless to multiply authorities in opposition to 

 a hypothesis, the absurdity of which must be obvious to every 

 enquiring unbiassed mind ; and if the subject were formally 

 investigated in its various bearings, the arguments pro and 

 con brought forward, I should usurp the space that may be 

 occupied by much more interesting matter, and should become 

 involved in details, many of which are rather alien from the 

 objects of this Magazine. 



I was led into these remarks by having lately observed 

 a circumstance that exemplifies, in a remarkable degree, the 

 truth of the assertions I have just made. It was about the 

 middle of last April, when I observed a young lamb en- 

 tangled amongst briars. It had, seemingly, struggled for 

 liberty until it was quite exhausted. Its mother was present, 

 endeavouring with her head and feet to disentangle it. After 

 having attempted in vain, for a long time, to effect this pur- 

 pose, she left it, and ran away baaing with all her might. 

 We fancied there was something peculiarly doleful in her 

 voice. Thus she proceeded across three large fields ; and 

 through four strong hedges, until she came to a flock of sheep. 

 From not having been able to follow her, I could not watch 

 her motions when with them. However, she left them in 

 about five minutes, accompanied by a large ram that had two 

 powerful horns. They returned speedily towards the poor 

 lamb ; and as soon as they reached it, the ram immediately 

 set about liberating it, which he did in a few minutes by 

 dragging away the briars with his horns. 



In order to elucidate the matter still farther, it may not be 

 improper to introduce in this place a definition of the word 

 instinct, that we may clearly understand the difference be- 

 tween its operations and those of reason. Instinct may be 

 said to be " an involuntary desire or aversion, acting on the 

 mind without the intervention of reason, motive, or deliber- 

 ation, but tending uniformly and exclusively to the pre- 

 servation of the individual, or propagation of the race." Or 

 it may be defined as " an involuntary stimulus of an innate 

 unknown power, acting on the principle of life, both animal 

 and vegetable, for the preservation and propagation of organ- 

 ised existence." In either of these respects, instinct is the 

 very antithesis of reason, " whose acts result from volition, 

 are perfectly free, may be beneficial, injurious, or indifferent 

 to the creature, may perpetuate its rac€, or work its de- 

 struction." 



Now it may be asked, what analogy, even in the remotest 

 K K 2 



