268 ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE 



round the narrow limits, or two or three sea-perch 

 routing among the seaweed. But the sound of the 

 key turning in the door-lock and of the keeper's foot 

 upon the wooden stair, rouses the pond into vehement 

 turmoil. Great brown forms arise from the depths; 

 broad tail fins lash the surface, and gaping mouths 

 appear in all directions. Experience has taught these 

 codfish to associate the sound of the keeper's key and 

 footfall with meal- times, and so lulled their natural 

 dread of man that they will eagerly take food from his 

 hand. Some years ago (I know not whether the same 

 may be witnessed now) the aged lady who acted as 

 keeper had imparted further instruction to one or 

 more of these fish. One, at all events, a great cod of 

 about 12 Ib. weight, suffered her to lift him out of the 

 water in her arms and place him in her lap, there 

 to receive a meal of mussels or soft crab shoved into 

 his gullet with a wooden spoon. Truly one could 

 hardly imagine a performance more at variance with 

 the instincts and habits of a pelagic fish. 



However fully convinced one may be that the lower 

 animals are endowed with conscious and volitional 

 energy, it can hardly be questioned that many of their 

 most definite and characteristic actions are performed 

 in compliance with a motor impulse independent of 

 consciousness or volition ; and this not only in extreme 

 youth, but at all periods of maturity. 



To select an example first from juvenile behaviour 

 the homely proverb, ' It 's an ill bird that fouls its own 

 nest,' is derived from the cleanly habits of nestlings. 

 Mr. Lloyd Morgan received a spotted fly-catcher, about 



