82 Marvels of Pond-Life. 



pattern gizzard " stirrup-shaped," but Mr. Gosse has 

 shown them to be quadrantic, that is, shaped like the 

 quarter of a sphere. 



As we are not very well off with subjects for descrip- 

 tion in these two months, we can afford a little time to 

 consider a question that continually arises in the mind, 

 on viewing the movements of animalcules, and especially 

 of any so highly developed as the rotifers, namely, to 

 what extent motions which appear intelligent are really 

 the result of anything like a conscious purpose or will. 

 When any of the lower animals — a bee, for example — 

 acts in precisely the same way as all bees have acted 

 since their proceedings have been observed, we settle 

 the question by the use of the term instinct. Those who 

 take the lowest view of insect life, assume that the bee 

 flies because it has wings, but without wishing to use 

 them, and that the nerves exciting them to action are 

 in their turn excited, not by volition, but by some 

 physical stimulus. 



The sight or the smell of flowers is thought by the 

 same reasoners to be capable of attracting the insect, 

 which is unconscious of the attraction, while proximity 

 of food stimulates the tongue to make the movements 

 needful for its acquisition, and so forth. The cells, 

 they tell us, are built according to a pattern which the 

 earliest bee was impelled to construct by forces that 

 bear no analogy to human reason and human will, and 

 so originate all the ordinary processes of bee life. Some- 

 times, however, it happens that man or accident inter- 

 poses particular obstacles, and forthwith there appears 

 a particular modification of the orthodox plan, calcu« 



