April 14, 1898] 



NATURE 



555 



But, from the observations, it seems that the selection of 

 certain of these objects and the rejection of others is a 

 matter of individual experience." 



With regard to instinctive fear of particular animals or 

 objects, the evidence indicated that it has no existence 

 in relation to 



" bees or wasps as such, but that there is a shrinking 

 response, probably instinctive, from any largish strange 

 object, especially if it moves vigorously or makes some 

 such noise as buzzing." 



An account of further experiments in the same direction 

 is given in the present chapter. There was no instinctive 

 fear of a fox-terrier dog which was trained to remain 

 passive in the presence of the birds. 



" Pheasants, partridges, and plovers would peck at his 

 nose as he smelt at them, and run in between his legs." 



" Neither chicks, pheasants, nor jays — not even the 

 little fly-catchers — showed any signs of dread of a kitten, 

 nor did chicks of an older cat." 



It is also stated that " there is not apparently much 

 difference in the young of wild and tame birds," in this 

 respect. This interesting conclusion, for which much 

 evidence is quoted, differs from that which has been 

 drawn by Dr. Rae (Nature, July 19, 1883). The whole 

 of the observations on the effects produced by various 

 animals upon young birds tend strongly to support Mr. 

 Hudson's conclusion that the fear of particular enemies 

 is due to experience and tradition (p. 89). 



The rapidity with which associations are formed was 

 illustrated in an amusing manner by some ducklings 

 which had their bath in a tin placed on a tray. 



" On the sixth morning the tray and tin were given 

 them in the usuah way, but without any water. They ran 

 to it, scooped at the bottom, and made all the motions of 

 the beak as if drinking. They squatted in it, dipping 

 their heads and waggling their tails as usual. For some 

 ten minutes they continued to wash in non-existent 

 water, the coolness of the tin to their breasts perhaps 

 giving them some satisfaction." 



However, the next day they soon gave up the attempt, 

 and " on the third morning they waddled up to the dry 

 tin and sadly departed " (p. 96). 



The congenital nature of the movements in bathing 

 were well shown by jays and magpies. One of the latter 

 was observed by Mr. Charbonnier " to go through all the 

 gestures of a bird bathing " upon the floor of the cage, 

 after pecking once or twice at the surface of water in a 

 pan with which it had been supplied for the first time. 



Some of the main general conclusions will be found 

 summarised in seven short paragraphs at the end of, 

 Chapter iv. 



The succeeding chapter deals with the young mammal. 

 The immense difference in the activity of the newly- 

 born young of various mammalian groups is well brought 

 out by numerous interesting examples.. Chief among 

 the congenital associated movements of the young 

 mammal is the act of sucking, in response to the contact 

 of any solid substance of suitable size with the mouth. 

 A more striking instance of the purely reflex and con- 

 genital nature of the performance, than any as yet 

 recorded, was described to the present writer by Dr. J. 

 Sidney Turner. 



"There is no doubt whatever," Dr. Turner writes, 

 " about the sucking reaction before birth {i.e. before the 



NO. 1485, VOL. 57] 



instinct can be in any way useful — indeed it would be the 

 reverse of useful). During the process of cephalic version 

 which is done whilst the foetus is high up in the uterus, I 

 have, on several occasions, placed my little finger in the 

 mouth of the foetus, and it has most distmctly sucked the 

 finger exactly in the same manner as a born baby would 

 do. ... I don't know at what age of the embryo foetus 

 sucking is possible, but I know that a six months foetus, 

 at birth, can suck well." 



It is satisfactory to be able, with Dr. Turner's per- 

 mission, to put on record this interesting observation 

 upon the human species, an observation which may well 

 be added to the numerous others given in Chapter v. 



The conclusions of Spalding and others that the kitten 

 recognises and shows an instinctive fear of the smell of 

 the dog are criticised, and the true inference is shown to 

 be probably as in the case of the chick, the charac- 

 teristic behaviour being only an example of congenital 

 response to almost any strong stimulus. The responses 

 in later life are explained as the results of experience and 

 of parental influence. Prof. Lloyd Morgan freely admits 

 that " there may be an instinctive basis, however, in 

 some cases where animals are by nature enemies." The 

 behaviour of the frog in presence of the grass-snake 

 and of the rabbit in presence of the stoat would be 

 especially interesting to investigate from this point of 

 view. 



It is well pointed out in this chapter that however 

 much instincts are 



" utilised, modified, and adapted through experience 

 and acquisition, yet the fundamental distinction be- 

 tween that which is congenital and instinctive, on 

 the one hand, and that which is acquired through 

 individual experience, on the other hand, remains un- 

 altered. . . . The instinctive action is prior to experience ; 

 the acquired action is due to experience. And this dis- 

 tinction holds, no matter how hard it may be to decide 

 whether this action or that is in the main instinctive or in 

 the main acquired." 



These earlier chapters, which are full of interesting 

 observation and acute criticism, have been drawn upon to 

 a considerable extent in this notice ; but all who are in- 

 terested in the subject are bound to study the original. 

 The limits of space prevent any further reference to the 

 close reasoning in the important chapters which deal 

 with the material supplied by these observations, and out 

 of it construct for us valuable theories of animal psycho- 

 logy and the mode of the working of the higher parts 

 of the nervous system in relation to instinct, intelligence, 

 imitation, emotion, &c. It is sufficient to say that to 

 most, probably to all, naturalists who are accustomed to 

 reflect on such subjects the conclusions will commend 

 themselves as those which are to be legitimately drawn 

 from the facts. 



In the interesting chapter on "Some Habits and 

 Instincts of the Pairing Season," the author protests 

 strongly against " the unnecessary supposition that the 

 hen bird must possess a standard or ideal of aesthetic 

 value, and that she selects that singer which comes 

 nearest to her conception of what a songster should be." 

 It may be conceded that the word "aesthetic " is an un- 

 fortunate one to use in this connection. On the other 

 hand, the comparison between the chick which " selects 

 the worm that excites the strongest impulse to pick it up 



