70 Instinct. 



seasons, and secure the best condition of growth. 

 In all these physiological functions and adaptations 

 to heat and moisture, darkness and light, we saw 

 adaptation of means to ends such as justified itself 

 to the Reason of man. They all had special refer- 

 ence to the welfare of the individual plant. No 

 careful observer can fail to see adaptation in the 

 parts of a plant working out as specific results as 

 are ever seen accomplished among animals or men. 

 Whatever his theoretical notions of inorganic na- 

 ture may be, as of something formed and controlled 

 by physical forces working under laws of mathe- 

 matical exactness, or of species among organic beings 

 as the " survivors of the fittest " in the great strug- 

 gle for existence, he must recognize among plants 

 an adaptation of parts to produce specific results — 

 results necessary for the existence and well being 

 of the plants themselves as individuals and species. 

 No one pretends that there is any power of percep- 

 tion, any sensation or volition connected with the 

 plant, and yet operations are carried on by it pre- 

 cisely as though sensation, perception and volition 

 were all present. 



If we now consider the animal body alone, as 

 far as anatomy and physiology can go, or rather 

 physiology — for that explains the growth — we shall 

 find that it involves the same kind of operations as 

 are in the tree, but more complicated, rapid and mar- 

 vellous in their results. In connection with all these 

 operations in the animal body there may be sensa- 

 tion, but perception and volition have no more to 

 do directly in building up the animal system than 



