THE SCHOOLS OF LITTLE ARROWS 



ganism the simple elements must be considered in 

 their coordination with each other and their subor- 

 dination to the whole to a far greater extent than 

 in the study of the merely structural morphology, 

 as almost any one of the many instincts centered 

 around the various stimulations to which the organ- 

 ism is able to respond may temporarily or perma- 

 nently serve to suppress the manifestations of any 

 or all of the other complexes in the nervous organi- 

 zation of the species, or may equally serve to increase 

 their external effect. ... In discussing the occur- 

 rence and varying development of the schooling be- 

 havior of the different forms we must therefore not 

 only observe the external manifestations of the 

 schooling instinct, but we must also consider the 

 possibility of these manifestations having been al- 

 tered, promoted, reduced or even entirely sup- 

 pressed by the interference of other compatible or 

 incompatible instincts in the psychological make-up 

 of the species considered." Here, in two sentences 

 and one hundred and sixty words, we have one 

 modern method of attack on the subject, and at this 

 point, I myself leave in search of a more direct, 

 simple approach. I go down to the ancient wreck 

 which is my Nonsuch breakwater, and, lying prone 

 on the hot planks, focus my low power glasses on 

 the milling school which I knew I should find there. 

 Many years ago while watching great numbers 

 of wading birds on the shores of Lake Chapala in 

 Mexico, I was first struck by the strange unanimity 

 of birds in flight — what I called the spirit of the 



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