1884.] Mr. G. J. Romanes on the Darwinian Theory of Instinct. 131 



WEEKLY EVENING MEETING, 



Friday, February 8, 1884. 



Sir William Bowman, Bart. LL.D. F.R.S. Honorary Secretary and 

 Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Gkoege J. EoMANES, Esq. M.A. LL.D. F.R.S. 



The Darwinian Theory of Instinct. 



" Gayest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks ? or wings and 

 feathers unto the ostrich ? which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and 

 warmeth them in dust, and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, 

 or that the wild beast may break them. . . . Because God hath 

 deprive^J her of wisdom, neither hath He imparted to her under- 

 standing." 



This is the oldest theory of instinct. The writer of that sublime 

 monument of literary power in which it occurs observed a failure of 

 instinct on the part of the ostrich, and forthwith attributed the fact 

 to neglect on the part of the Deity ; the implication plainly being 

 that in all cases where instinct is perfect, or completely suited to the 

 needs of the animal presenting it, the perfection is to be attributed to 

 a God-given faculty of wisdom. This, I say, is the oldest theory of 

 instinct, and I may add that until within the past twenty-five years 

 it has been the only theory of instinct. I think, therefore, I ought 

 to begin by explaining that this venerable and time-honoured theory 

 is a purely theological explanation of the ultimate source of instinct, 

 and therefore cannot be affected by any scientific theory as to the 

 proximate causes. It is with such a theory alone that we shall here 

 be concerned. 



" When giants build, men must bring the stones." For the past 

 eight or ten years I have been engaged in elaborating Mr. Darwin's 

 theories in the domain of psychology, and I cannot allude to my own 

 work in this connection without expressing the deep obligations under 

 which I lie to his ever ready and ever generous assistance — assist- 

 ance rendered not only in the way of conversation and correspondence, 

 but also by his kindness in making over to me all his unpublished 

 manuscripts, together with the notes and clippings which he had 

 been making for the past forty years in psychological matters. I have 

 now gone carefully through all this material, and have published 

 most of it in my work on ' Mental Evolution in Animals.' I allude 

 to this work on the present occasion in order to observe that, as it has 

 so recently come out, I shall feel myself entitled to assume that few 

 have read it ; and therefore I shall not cramp my remarks by seeking 

 to avoid any of the facts or arguments therein contained. 



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