80 THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 



out play. In this way we can explain those plays re- 

 ferred to in this and the previous chapter, which can not 

 be designated as imitative play, such as the gambolling 

 of young creatures, their play with the organs of mo- 

 tion and speech, mock fighting, etc. Besides these plays, 

 which are founded on strongly developed instincts, and 

 can therefore be practised without a model, there are 

 many others worthy of consideration: those in which 

 at least two instincts are involved — one an impulse only 

 rudimentarily present, though easily aroused, and the 

 other the accompanying imitative instinct. To this 

 class belong the instances already cited of young birds 

 learning to sing, probably, too, the barking of puppies, 

 and the imitative play of little girls whose motherly 

 tending of their dolls could hardly reach the perfec- 

 tion in which we see it without imitation. It would be 

 certainly hard to explain the choice of models by the 

 different sexes without hereditary predisposition — why 

 the boy's tin soldiers are his favourite toys, while the 

 little girl is always the mother and housekeeper. Final- 

 ly, it must be admitted that there are cases where the 

 imitative impulse exceeds the limits of instinct and 

 apparently works alone, as when apes imitate the actions 

 of men, when parrots learn to speak intelligently, and 

 when children play horse cars, railroad, hunter, teacher, 

 and the like. But even here a latent desire to experi- 

 ment contributes, and it is evident how necessary such 

 play is to the development of mind and body. 



We now have all the principles necessary for a psy- 

 chology of play; only in outline, however. All refine- 

 ments and expansions which may subsequently be 

 brought to light, and which I may call idealizations of 

 the bald play instinct, must be treated later. The fol- 

 lowing remarks will conclude this chapter: 



