20O 



LIFE AND HABIT. 



now passing ; and he who would study the origin of 

 an instinct with its development, partial transmission, 

 further growth, further transmission, approach to more 

 unreflecting stability, and finally, its perfection as an un- 

 erring and unerringly transmitted instinct, must look to 

 laws, customs, and machinery as his best instructors. 

 Customs and machines are instincts and organs now in 

 process of development; they will assuredly one day 

 reach the unconscious state of equilibrium which we 

 observe in the structures and instincts of bees and ants, 

 and an approach to which may be found among some 

 savage nations. We may reflect, however, not without 

 pleasure, that this condition — the true millennium — is 

 I still distant. Nevertheless the ants and bees seem 

 happy ; perhaps more happy than when so many social 

 questions were in as hot discussion among them, as 

 other, and not dissimilar ones, will one day be amongst 

 ourselves. 



And this, as will be apparent, opens up the whole 

 question of the stability of species, which we cannot 

 follow further here, than to say, that according to the 

 balance of testimony, many plants and animals do 

 appear to have reached a phase of being from which 

 they are hard to move — that is to say, they will die 

 sooner than be at the pains of altering their habits — 

 true martyrs to their convictions. Such races refuse to 

 see changes in their surroundings as long as they can, 

 but when compelled to recognise them, they throw up 

 the game because they cannot and will not, or will 

 not and cannot, invent. And this is perfectly intelli- 

 gible, for a race is nothing but a long-lived individual, 



