100 THE BIOLOGY OF INSECTS 



an approximately straight line, as normal bees would do. 

 It is noteworthy, on the other hand, that some of the bees 

 used in these experiments never seemed able to modify 

 their response from that at first incited through their *' one- 

 eyed " condition ; they were far less ready than others to 

 learn by experience, more completely dominated than their 

 fellows by the abnormal reflex arising from their abnormal 

 condition. Reference has been made to the definition of 

 instinct as " compound reflex action," and Lloyd Morgan 

 in his classical discussion on Animal Behaviour (1900) 

 remarks that " instinct supplies an outline sketch of 

 behaviour to which experience adds colour and shading." 

 In the changed behaviour of Minnich's bees we have an 

 example of the modification of a simple " instinctive " 

 response through experience acquired by certain individuals 

 subjected to unusual conditions in the course of their lives. 

 The fact that some creatures become more easily adapted 

 than others to new and strange conditions suggests the 

 possibility of our learning a little as to the origin of new 

 modes of behaviour among insects from such methods of 

 investigation. 



These results further lead us to conclude that an insect 

 may be able to escape from the domination of an abnormal 

 tropism which prevents or retards the creature's normal 

 response to a stimulation. A bee with both eyes in action 

 directs the axis of its body towards, and then moves towards 

 a source of light, whereas a bee with the left eye blinded 

 loops towards the right under the stimulation of a bright 

 light. The fact that it may learn how to correct this 

 abnormal reflex and revert to its former mode of behaviour 

 suggests that in performing the normal reflex action the 

 insect experiences at least a gleam of consciousness akin to 

 the satisfaction which we realise in ourselves as we perform 

 many normal reflexes, and which we may infer is realised 

 to some extent at least by the higher vertebrates generally. 



With insects, however, it can hardly be doubted that the 

 consciousness accompanying reflexes of this kind is weaker 

 by far than with vertebrates ; the '* works " of the *' little 



