Experience not its Origin. 167 



tendencies inherited through any means. The ^^^ 

 is deposited by the mother, and she soon dies. It 

 is then removed to the stomach of the horse, where 

 it wakes to hfe and spends the first stage of its ex- 

 istence. It has never had any connection with the 

 leg of a horse, except as an ^^^. Before it comes 

 into the world, to act as a fly, all the former race 

 of Bot-flies are dead. It must begin its work for 

 itself; and it goes, not where it began life, for that 

 is Impossible ; but, to the place where it was depos- 

 ited as an ^^^. So if we refer Instinct, in this case, 

 to experience in the present race or past races, the 

 experience begun and treasured up, must have be- 

 gun in the o^^g ! 



We have a multitude of examples, of Instinct 

 of this kind, which moves on changing, as the young 

 changes from the ^gg to maturity ; with no paren- 

 tal care to aid it, and no parental example for imi- 

 tation. 



The eggs of the Tent-moth are its only repre- 

 sentatives in the spring of the year. But the thou- 

 sands of young Insects from these eggs, all start off 

 in the work of feeding and web-weaving and migra- 

 ting from the web, and cocoon building, just as all 

 others of the same kind have done every year be- 

 fore. And yet, no parent has ever seen its young, 

 and no young has ever seen a parent, or any of its 

 works. 



The Oak-pruners deposit their eggs on the 

 branches of the oak ; and the young insect grows 

 and cares for itself until the proper time comes for 

 its transformation. Then it cuts the limb between 



