THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 85 
Summing up. 
To sum up:—There are many play-instincts among 
animals; they have been wrought out in the ages, partly as 
safety-valves for overflowing energy and emotion, partly as 
opportunities for the emergence of variations before too 
rigorous selection begins, mainly as periods for perfecting 
powers which are essential in after-life. Animals, as Groos 
says, do not simply play because they are young; they 
continue young in order that they may play. Although 
there are play-instincts, it is freely allowed that the play 
may be modified by imitation, and much influenced by 
intelligence. 
If the above views be correct, we see a new import in the 
games of our children. They are natural safety-valves, to 
close which must mean disaster ; they are opportunities for 
the free play of individuality, originality, idiosyncrasy — 
variations, in short, more or less sheltered from selection ; 
they are necessary to the perfecting of powers—physical, 
emotional, and intellectual—which are afterwards of critical 
moment. Play is thus a rehearsal without responsibilities, 
a preliminary canter before the real race, a sham-fight 
before the real battle, a joyous apprenticeship to the busi- 
ness of life. 
In short, play is so universal because it is of fundamental 
importance as the young form of work. 
The creatures who played best when young, worked best, 
lived best, perhaps loved best, when they grew up, and thus 
through the long ages the play-instinct has been fostered. 
From our study of animals, I say, we find a deeper mean- 
ing in the familiar saying, “ All work and no play makes Jack 
a dull boy.” ; 
May we not twist an old precept a little and say, “Let us 
play while we can, so that we may work when we must.” 
A paper was read by Mr B, N. Peacu, F.R.S., F.G.S., 
on 9th February 1899. 
