EXAMINATION OF THE THEORIES OF OTHEK WRITERS. 259 



wise said, "this is altogether a separate matter" and has 

 nothing to do with defining what instinct is. And certainly, 

 as I there showed, instinct is something more than reflex 

 action ; " there is in it the element of mind." 



Moreover, if we were to classify these and all other cases 

 of still more compound reflex action under the designation of 

 instinct, there would be no category left in which to place all 

 cases of true instinct, i.e., cases where consciousness is necessary 

 to the ]3erformance of an action which but for the occurrence of 

 consciousness would be properly classified as a reflex action. 

 Of course if we choose we may altogether ignore the distinc- 

 tion which the occurrence of consciousness in an action 

 imposes, and so classify all reflex actions and all instinctive 

 actions under one denomination; but this is not what 

 Mr. Spencer professes to do. He draws a distinction between 

 reflex action and instinct ; but he does not draw it at con- 

 sciousness ; and the result is that while no real distinction is 

 drawn between the two (for compound reflex action is still 

 nothing more than a mechanical advance upon simple reflex 

 action), the great distinction which actually exists is ignored. 

 Let us take an illustration. The giving of suck to young by 

 mammals must be regarded as a truly instinctive act. Why ? 

 I answer, for one reason, because the animal which performs 

 the action is conscious of performing it. If, on the other 

 hand, the young animal which is taking the suck is too young 

 (as in the case of the Kangaroo) to be reasonably supposed 

 conscious of performing its part in the process, I should say 

 that the action of the young animal is to be regarded as reflex. 

 But Mr. Spencer would classify both these actions under the 

 common designation of instinctive. Suppose, then, that this 

 is done, and what should we say to this case from among the 

 polyps ? McCready describes a species of Medusa which 

 carries its larvae on the inner side of its bell-like body. The 

 mouth and stomach of the Medusa hang down like the 

 tongue of a bell, and contain the nutrient fluids. McCready 

 observed this depending organ to be moved first to one side 

 and then to the other side of the bell, in order to give suck 

 to the larvae on the sides of the bell — the larva3 dipping their 

 long noses into the nutrient fluids which that organ of the 

 parent's body contained. Now if this case occurred in any 

 of the higher animals, where we might suppose intelligent 

 consciousness of its occurrence to be present, it would j)ro- 



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