30 INTERNAL ANATOMY OF INSECTS. 



doubt the possibility of satisfactorily explaining the va- 

 riety of instincts exercised by a bee a , or the extraordi- 

 nary development of new ones in particular circum- 

 stances only b , on any merely mechanical grounds. 



And after all, even suppose it could be demonstratively 

 shown that every instinct is as clearly dependent on se- 

 condary causes, as I hftve formerly admitted that some 

 doubtless seem to be, yet what would this teach us as 

 to the essential nature of instinct ? We have advanced 

 indeed a step; but still, as I have before observed in re- 

 ferring to the theories of Brown and Tucker, we have 

 only placed the world upon the tortoise, and instinct, as 

 to its essence, which is what we want to detect, is as my- 

 sterious as ever : just as, though we can clearly prove 

 that the mind is acted upon by the senses, yet this throws 

 no light upon the essential nature of the mind, which we 

 are forced to admit is inscrutable, as if to teach us hu- 

 mility, and prevent our vainly fancying, that though 

 allowed to discover some of the arcana of nature, we 

 shall ever be able to penetrate into her inmost sanctu- 

 aries. 



That Dr. Virey should regard instinct in insects as 

 purely mechanical was the natural consequence of his 

 denying them any portion of intellect ; but his opinion 

 cannot I think be consistently assented to, if it be the 

 fact, as I have just shown c , that they are not wholly de- 

 void of the intellectual principle, Whatever is merely 

 mechanical, must, under similar circumstances, always 

 act precisely in the same way. An automaton once con- 

 structed, whilst its machinery remains in order, will in- 

 variably perform the same actions; and Des Cartes, when 



* VOL. II. p. 493. b Ibid. p. 503. c See above, p. 21. 



