. XVI. 8. i. OF INSTINCT. 1 1 i 



early, and individual aflbciation, they acquire habits of occur- 

 ring together, that are afterwards indifiblubie. 



1. Of Fear. 



As foon as the young animal is born, the firft important fen* 

 fations, that occur to him, are occafioned by the oppreffion about 

 his precordia for want of refpiration, and by his fudden tranfi- 

 tion from ninety-eight degrees of heat into fo cold a climate. 

 He trembles, that is, he exerts alternately all the mufcles of his 

 body, to enfranchife himfelf from the oppreflion about his bofom, 

 and begins to breathe with frequent and fhort refpirations ; at 

 the fame time the cold contracts his red ikin, gradually turning 

 it pale ; the contents of the bladder and of the bowels are evac- 

 uated : and from the experience of theie firft difagreeable fenfa- 

 tions the pailion of fear is excited, which is no other than the 

 expectation of difagreeable fenfations. This early aflbciation of 

 motions and fenfations perfifts throughout life ; the pailion of 

 fear produces a cold and pale (kin, with tremblings, quick refpi- 

 ration, and an evacuation of the bladder and bowels, and thus 

 conititutes the natural or uriiverfal language of this pailion. 



On obferving a canary bird this morning, January 28, 1772, 

 at the houfe of Mr. Harvey, near Tutbury, in Derbyfhire, I was 

 told it always fainted away, when its cage was cleaned, and de- 

 fired to fee the experiment. The cage being taken from the 

 ceiling, and its bottom drawn out, the bird began to tremble, 

 and turned quite white about the root of his bill : he then open- 

 ed his mouth as if for breath, and refpired quick, flood 

 flraighter up on his perch, hung his wings, fpread his tail, clofed 

 his eyes, and appeared quite ftifFand cataleptic for near half an 

 hour, and at length with much trembling and deep refpirations 

 came gradually to himfelf. 



2. Of Grief. 



That the internal membrane of the noftrils may be kept al- 

 ways moift, for the better perception of odours, there are tw$ 

 canals, that conduct the tears after they have done their office 

 in moiftening and cleaning the ball of the eye info a fack, whicfe 

 is called the lacrymal fack ; and from which there is a duft, 

 that opens into the noftrils : the aperture of this dul is formed 

 of exquiilte fenfibility, and when it is ftimdated by odorous 

 particles, or by the drynefs or coldnefs of the air, the fack con* 

 tracls itfelf, and pours more of its contained moifture on the or- 

 gan of laielL By this contrivance the organ is rendered more 



fit 



