XVI. 

 INSTINCT 



INSTINCT is the overworked and much 

 abused word of many writers. As applied 

 to the wild things, we often stumble on to 

 the terms, instinct of direction, instinct of 

 migration, instinct of song, instinct of nest 

 building, and so on. Webster gives several 

 definitions as to the meaning of instinct. The 

 following covers the ground: 



" An instinct is an agent which performs 

 blindly and ignorantly a work of intelligence 

 and knowledge." 



To gather acorns in the balmy days of 

 October and store them for the cold of winter, 

 is a work of intelligence and knowledge. 

 Can we believe that the blue jays and squir- 

 rels perform this work blindly and ignorantly ? 

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