18 Chapter II. 



between instinct and reflex activity by the following 

 examples. A new-born infant does not close its eyes 

 at the approach of a dangerous object; it only learns to 

 do so by and by, as the result of experience. Thence 

 Romanes concludes that the closing of the eyes at the 

 approach of danger was originally an instinctive and 

 not a mere reflex activity, which it gradually becomes 

 "by repeated exercise. Again, Romanes calls the suck- 

 ing of a new-born infant a mere reflex activity, because 

 it does not, in his opinion, contain a psychic element. 

 But only when a babe has repeatedly experienced the 

 pleasure of sucking and then begins to seek its mother's 

 breast, are we justified, according to Romanes, in de- 

 signating its action as instinctive in the proper sense of 

 the word. 



Now, according to his own statement and the views 

 of modern animal psychologists, this "properly in- 

 stinctive action" evidently falls under the definition of 

 intelligent and not of instinctive activity, as it is precisely 

 the individual experience of the babe that in their theory 

 renders these actions "intelligent." Therefore, Romanes, 

 with all other modern animal psychologists must either 

 designate the instinctive closing of the eyelids on the 

 part of a babe that is a few days old and its searching 

 for its mother's breast as "intelligent actions," and that is 

 absurd, or, they must acknowledge that their notion of 

 intelligence cannot be defended. 



The latter alternative is surely preferable. The 

 psychic development of man clearly shows that many 

 actions which presuppose an individual sense experience 

 can be instinctive in the wider sense of the term. A 

 burnt child shuns the fire and proves the truth of this 



