NA TURE 



n 



THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1893. 



REASON versus INSTINCT. 



TIic Intelligence of Animals. By Charles William Purnell , 

 Barrister-at-La\v. (Christchurch and Dunedin, N.Z. : 

 Whitcombe and Tombs, Limited, 1893.) 



THIS little work has been written, the author states, in 

 order to awaken public interest in the daily lives of 

 the numerous animals which surround us, and to enforce 

 the view that they are not mere lumps of animated clay, 

 but creatures quickened by the fire of intelligence, and 

 mentally as well as physically our brethren. The facts 

 and arguments of modern writers on the subject have 

 been condensed, and the results presented in a way cal- 

 culated to interest the average reader, but always from 

 the somewhat peculiar standpoint of the author. In his 

 own words : — " The object of this work is, first, to prove 

 that, among animals instinct, as distinguished from 

 intelligence, is non-existent, that, in fact, it is a mere 

 name ; and, secondly, that the intelligence of the higher 

 animals is essentially the same as our own." 



After giving the definition of instinct from several 

 writers, he proceeds to discuss the " Origin of Instincts," 

 and he attributes it to hereditary habit, apparently un- 

 aware that the hereditary transmission of habits is either 

 doubted or actually denied by a large number of natural- 

 ists. And he does not seem quite clear himself as to 

 the meaning attached to the term, and to the necessity 

 of excluding in any particular case in which it is alleged to 

 exist, the possible influence of imitation, of physical or 

 mental idiosyncrasies which are admittedly hereditary, 

 and of natural or artificial selection. He considers 

 handwriting to be sometimes hereditary, but does not 

 apparently see that both imitation and inherited muscular 

 or nervous peculiarities are almost sure to be present ; 

 while in the case of trained dogs and horses whose 

 acquired habits are supposed to be hereditary, he clearly 

 perceives that selection comes in, since he says : — " We 

 know precisely how these habits have been acquired. 

 The dogs and horses have been taught them by slow 

 degrees ; the animals displaying most aptitude for their 

 acquisition have been carefully selected as breeders, 

 until, finally, the habit has grown into the animal's mental 

 constitution, and is perpetuated from parent to offspring." 

 Further on, he tells us that when the beaver builds a 

 lodge or constructs a dam, it does so by virtue of the 

 inherited experiences of its forefathers. Of this there is 

 no evidence whatever, while we are told that there is 

 evidence of increased skill with age ; so that instruction 

 by, and imitation of, the older animals, with progressive 

 improvement through experience, will account for all the 

 facts. 



A considerable portion of the work is occupied by 

 facts and arguments directed against the doctrine that 

 the actions of animals emanate from blind instinct, a 

 doctrine which Mr. Purnell seems to think is almost uni- 

 versally held. When speaking of animals exhibiting joy, 

 grief, love, hatred, pride, shame, revenge, or jealousy, he 

 aids that we cannot conceive of an automaton being 

 NO. 1230, VOL. 48] 



thus moved. And, after describing the dances of gnats 

 and other insects, and the amusements of ants, he again 

 declares that he cannot believe that these are " mindless 

 beings no more responsible for their actions than the 

 piston of a steam engine. " Similar remarks are 

 repeated again and again, as if the doctrine of the 

 automatism of animals, instead of a philosopher's paradox, 

 was the common belief of the educated world. 



The author fully adopts the view that animals possess 

 an aesthetic sense, admiring beauty of form and colour 

 for its own sake ; and he appears to be quite unaware 

 that all the facts he adduces are explicable on the theory 

 that the varied ornaments which we admire as being 

 beautiful in themselves, may be to animals mere signs of 

 the presence of desirable objects. Throughout his 

 chapter on this subject he repeatedly states as facts, that 

 animals do love beauty ; that what delights our eyes 

 delights their eyes also ; that they admire the beauty of 

 their fellow's brilliant colours ; and as an indication that 

 this is so, he urges that the colours of all animals form 

 "harmonious combinations." The colours maybe gaudy 

 or odd, but they •" harmonise well together," and " a true 

 and perfect harmony does actually prevail in the colours 

 of animals." This is often asserted, but how can it be 

 proved ? Do the glaring colours of the blue and yellow 

 macaw form a harmonious combination ? Or those of 

 many of the barbets or chatterers.' The colours, con- 

 templated individually, are beautiful, owing to their purity 

 and the delicacy of the glossy surface on which they are 

 exhibited, often presenting the lustre of silk or satin, Or 

 the soft texture of velvet, while the rounded contours 

 and delicate gradations of tint are also pleasing. Bu 

 to assert that the combinations of colours are always, or 

 even usually harmonious, in the sense in which we use 

 the term as applied to combinations in a lady's dress or 

 in the decorations of a room, seems to me to be com- 

 pletely opposed to the facts. 



Notwithstanding these slight drawbacks, the work is 

 full of interest. Almost every aspect of the subject is 

 touched upon, and the writer often displays much origin- 

 ality in his discussions. We find very interesting chap, 

 ters on the amusements of animals, on their individuality 

 of character, on the education of their young, and on 

 their language ; and if he had confined his statement as 

 to reason versus instinct, to the case of the higher 

 animals, we might have been inclined to acknowledge that 

 his view is the correct one. He does not, however, attempt 

 to show how the theory of reason will apply to the acts 

 of the larvae of many insects, which seek special stations 

 and construct special habitations for the pupse, or of the 

 perfect insects which lay up food for their young with 

 the most admirable foresight and precautions. For 

 these cases he falls back on hereditary habit ; but it is 

 difficult to see how this differs from the instinct which 

 at the outset he denies the existence of. 



Among the most original portions of the book is the 

 chapter " On the Aspect which Man presents to the 

 Lower Animals," and that on " The Animal View of the 

 World." These are not so purely speculative as would 

 appear at first sight, and some very good reasons are 

 advanced for the conclusions arrived at. Mr. Purnell 

 holds very strong views as to the rights of animals. He 



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