S8 " French- National Institute^ 



M. dt Eeauvois has published the third part of his Inseclcs 

 recue'iUis en yJJrlcjue et en Ameriqiie. 



The history of animals, although placed at the limits of 

 the physical and moral sciences, does not employ alone, in 

 its dJ^CLissions, the theory of the c\(J.ion of bodies j that of 

 the operation of mind also is not foreign to it. 



Wc know, for example, that the nature and the limits of 

 the intelligence of the brute creation have for a long time 

 occupied metaphysicians, although these are points that can 

 be determined by naturalists only. 



In this last respect such stibjects become proper objects of 

 inquiry to our class ; and it is for this reason we heard witli 

 much interest a memoir upon instinct, or rather against in- 

 stinct, which was read to us by M. Dupont de Nemours, 

 iijcmber of the historical class. 



Considtrrations foreign to the subject formerly rendered 

 this description of subjects con)plicated, and Descartes fell 

 into an opposite extremity by making the brutes to be pure 

 fnachines. 



If we did not know, by so many experiments, how far 

 the spirit of system has sometimes led the greatest of men, 

 we might be tempted t6 think that they were not serious. 



Since philosophers, however, have found it more advan- 

 tageous to observe simple nature herself, than to create an 

 imaginary one, they have returned to a train of thinking on 

 the subject, similar to that of the vulgar. 



No one of common understanding doubts that animals are 

 conscious of their sensations, and are determined in their 

 actions by the pleasure or pain cf the moment : but further, 

 tvjry person admits that they have 'a strong memory; that 

 they form, by repeated experiments, general judgments 

 founded upon the sentiment of analogy ; and that they after- 

 wards conduct themselves according to the pleasure or pain 

 these decisions make them feel, and often in spite of the 

 actual attraction of a present pleasure or pain : lastly, that 

 these methods, well directed, can be employed by mankind 

 in their cdueati.on, and may lead them sometimes to assume 

 the habit of performing with admirable precision, actions 

 4 not 



