92 ON HEREDITY. 



by means of natural selection. But in this case are we really 

 dealing with the origin of a new instinct, or only with the addition 

 of one new perception (' Wahrnehmung,' Schneider) 1 , of the same 

 kind as those which incite to the instinct of flight an instinct 

 which had been previously developed in past ages but had never 

 been called forth by man ? Again, has any one ascertained whether 

 the young birds of the second or third generation are frightened 

 by man ? May it not be that the experience of a single life-time 

 plays a great part in the origin of the habit ? For my part, I am 

 inclined to believe that the habit of flying from man is developed 

 in the first generation which encounters him as a foe 2 . We see 

 how wary and cautious a flock of birds become as soon as a few 

 shots have been fired at them, and yet shortly before this occur- 

 rence they were perhaps playing carelessly close to the sportsmen. 

 Intelligence plays a considerable part in the life of birds, and 

 it by no means follows that the transmission of individual habits 

 explains the above-mentioned phenomena. The long-continued 

 operation of natural selection may veiy well have been necessary 

 before the perception of man could awake the instinct to flee in 

 young, inexperienced birds. Unfortunately the observations upon 

 these points are far too indefinite to enable us to draw conclusions. 

 There is again the frequently-quoted instance of the young 

 pointer, ' which, untrained, and without any example which might 

 have been imitated, pointed at a lizard in a subtropical jungle, just 

 as many of its forefathers had pointed at partridges on the plain of 

 St. Denis,' and which, without knowing the effect of a shot, sprang 

 forward barking, at the first discharge, to bring in the game. This 

 conduct must not be attributed to the inheritance of any mental 

 picture, such as the effect of a shot, but to the inheritance of a 

 certain reflex mechanism. The young pointer does not spring 

 forward at the shot because he has inherited from his forefathers a 



1 Compare ' Der thierische Wille,' Leipzig, 1880. 



8 Steller's interesting account of the Sea-cow (Rhytina Stelleri} proves that this 

 suggestion is valid. This large mammal was living in great numbers in Behring 

 Strait at the end of the last century, but has since been entirely exterminated by 

 man. Steller, who was compelled by shipwreck to remain in the locality for a whole 

 year, tells us that the animals were at first without any fear of man, so that they 

 could be approached in boats and could thus be killed. After a few months how- 

 ever the survivors became wary, and did not allow Steller's men to approach them, 

 so that they were difficult to catch. A. W., 1888. 



