326 ANIMAL NATURE AS A WHOLE. [iii. 



closely, these are little above the sensitive plant. Yet the line 

 of demarcation is never passed. The monkey never acts from 

 general principles, or ever meditates on an abstract truth. All 

 its actions are such as a man might perform independently of 

 his reason and will, in virtue of the high perfection of his sen- 

 sational perceptions and sensational will. However cleverly 

 the ant or bee acts, it so acts independently of perception or 

 sensation ; and its actions are those which a sensational animal 

 could perform after decapitation, and, therefore, independently 

 of mind, and in virtue of the high perfection of its vis nervosa. 

 However animal-like the movements of the sensitive plant 

 may be, they do not take place according to the laws of im- 

 pressions on the nerves of sentient animals. 



Note, — The question as to the existence of insentient 

 animals, must not be considered as quite decided, and it has 

 no very important bearing on the other doctrines of proper 

 animal physiology. Animals placed in this class must be con- 

 sidered to be those which either have no brain at all, or else a 

 brain of very simple construction, widely different from the 

 brain of undoubtedly sentient animals, and which is capable 

 only of those movements that sentient animals can execute 

 after decapitation, and independently of their animal-sentient 

 forces. 



