CONSCIOUSNESS. 77 



place upon a still higher level of consciousness, because, both 

 from the facts mentioned in " Animal Intelligence" and from 

 those published by Mr. Darwin,* it seems certain that their 

 actions so closely border on the intelligent that it is difficult 

 to determine whether or not they should be classed as intel- 

 ligent. Upon this level, also, I represent the period of the 

 embryonic life of Man as coming to a close; for although the 

 new-born child, from the immaturity of its experience, dis- 

 plays no adjustments that can be taken as indicative of 

 intelligence, still, as its nerve-centres are so elaborate (embo- 

 dying the results of a great mass of hereditary experience, 

 which although more latent in the new-born child than in the 

 new-born of many other mammals and all birds, must still, 

 we should infer from analogy, count of something), that we 

 can scarcely doubt the presence of at least as much conscious- 

 ness as occurs among the annelids. Moreover, pain appears 

 to be felt by a new-born child, inasmuch as it cries if injured ; 

 and although this action may be largely or chiefly reflex, we 

 may from analogy infer that it is also in part due to feeling. 

 The remaining levels occupied by the dawn of consciousness 

 may be considered as assigned to the lower Mollusca — an 

 ;i — ignnient which I think will be seen to be justified by con- 

 sulting the evidence given in my former work of actions 

 performed by these animals of a nature which is unques- 

 tionably intelligent. 



• Bee his work on Earthworms, 1SSI. 



