Securing Food. gi 



complex organism, and it is the lowest that involves 

 any exercise of the senses as a condition for the ex- 

 ercise of the Instinct. This selection of the propei 

 kind of food may come to be essentially connected 

 in the adult with very complex activities and animal 

 powers of a high rank. 



In the lowest forms of entozoa there seems to be 

 no volition in taking food, so far as we can see, even 

 in the adult. The food is simply absorbed. The 

 coral polyp also is stationary, as is the oyster, and 

 both must feed upon materials brought to them by 

 the waters, though very likely there is volition ex- 

 ercised by both animals in the process of selecting 

 materials from the waters. But the most wonder- 

 ful part of these animals, that which evinces the 

 most evident design — the coral cells that form the 

 coral branch or dome, and the pearly shell — are the 

 simple products of growth, — volition neither origin- 

 ates nor changes them. In higher animals we find 

 Instinct manifested not only in selecting food from 

 materials presented, but in seeking for it and secur- 

 ing it. To do this, it is sometimes necessary that 

 the Instinct of one animal shall take advantage of 

 or circumvent the Instinct of another. The Bald 

 eagle takes advantage of the Instinct and labor of 

 the Fish-hawk to procure fish for himself by rob- 

 bery. The Arctic Jager obtains its food by per- 

 secuting the Gulls. And a Southern Gull steals 

 from the Pelican. The cat tribe know without in- 

 struction how to watch for prey. Those animals 

 that must feed in winter when no food can be ob- 

 tained know how to gather in stores, though they 



