42 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



case with the instinct which dogs possess of turning 

 around several times before lying down, in order to 

 trample down a bed, a relic of primitive comfort which 

 surely could not have become established by the survival 

 of the fittest. " Or," says Romanes, "if this instance 

 be held doubtful, what shall we say to the courting in- 

 stincts in general, and to the play-instincts of the bower- 

 bird in particular, which are surely quite without mean- 

 ing from any utilitarian point of view? And these in- 

 stincts naturally lead to the aesthetic faculties of mankind, 

 few of which can be possibly ascribed to natural selec- 

 tion, as Mr. Spencer very conclusively shows." 



Weismann and Ball have both combated this, as, in- 

 deed, they are bound to do to be consistent with their 

 theory. Thus Ball says: " The emotional susceptibility 

 to music and the delicate perceptions needed for the 

 higher branches of art, were apparently the work of 

 natural and sexual selections in the long past. Civiliza- 

 tion, with its leisure and wealth and accumulated knowl- 

 edge, perfects human faculties by artificial cultivation, 

 develops and combines means of enjoyment and dis- 

 covers unsuspected sources of interest and pleasure. 

 But modern aesthetic advance seems to be 

 almost entirely due to the culture of latent abilities, the 

 formation of complex associations, the selection and 

 encouragement of talent, and the wide diffusion and 

 imitation of the accumulated products of the well-culti- 

 vated genius of favorably varying individuals. The 

 fact that uneducated persons do not enjoy the higher 

 tastes, and the rapidity with which such tastes are ac- 

 quired or professed ought to be sufficient proof that 

 modern culture is brought about by far swifter and more 

 potent influences than use-inheritance." What has Mr. 

 Ball shown in the above paragraph? If he has proved 

 anything it certainly is that natural selection has not 



