288 THE PLAY 0F ANIMALS. 



intellectual development — becomes much more promi- 

 nent than the merely physiological. Indeed, we found it 

 probable that surplus physical energy is not even a con- 

 ditio sine qua non, for in youth the instinct for playful 

 activity is urgent even when there is no surplus of 

 energy. In following out this idea the psychological as- 

 pect of the question was touched upon only incidentally, 

 and we found the essential point in the definition of play 

 to be its quality of practice or preparation, either with or 

 without higher intellectual accompaniments, in distinc- 

 tion from the serious exercise of instinct. This is a 

 great advance in so far, but then we often do not know 

 whether even a child is conscious that it is only playing. 

 So it is time to inquire in what the mental accompani- 

 ments of play consist, when they are present, and it is 

 apparent from the nature of the question that its answer 

 must be sought in the emotional life. 



The feeling of pleasure that results from the satis- 

 faction of instinct is the primary psychic accompani- 

 ment of play. There are, indeed, instincts whose exer- 

 cise is connected with decidedly disagreeable feelings; 

 but instinctive activity as such is usually pleasurable, 

 when psychic accompaniments are present at all. If we 

 accept A. Lehmann's definition of pleasure as a state of 

 temporary harmony between psychic and physical life 

 conditions,* we may be sure of its presence in most in- 

 stinctive activity not marred by the emotions of anger or 

 fear which are sometimes prominent. Since these hin- 

 drances are not operative in play, and since also the 

 power of instinct is here exceptionally strong, f we may 



* A. Lehmann, Die Hauptgesetze des menschlichen Gefiihlsle- 

 ben, 1892, p. 150. 



f P. Souriau (Le plaisir du mouvement, Revue Scientifique, 

 xvii, p. 365) says the need of movement is especially great in the 



