36 THE HUMANIZING OF THE BRUTK. 



birch-tree, whose construction, if performed by man, 

 implies the application of geometry and calculus. 

 The same explanation is demanded by the action ot 

 the male-larva of the stag-beetle (Lucanus elaphas), 

 which spins a cocoon for its future antlers twice as 

 large as does the female larva; the same of the so- 

 called silk-worms which when constructing their 

 double-walled cocoon for the winter season leave a 

 true but well closed door for escape in early spring. 

 (Plate II. Fig. 1.) 



Nor can any other reasonable interpretation be 

 given of the actions of birds which after their very 

 first mating begin to gather blades of grass and like 

 material for their future nest, deposit their eggs in it 

 and hatch out their offspring. Nor does the apparent 

 sagacity of domestic animals in distinguishing so well 

 and at once between hundreds of poisonous and nutri- 

 tious herbs warrant any other conclusion. In fine, all 

 instinctive actions of animals at least at their first oc- 

 currence and previous to experience cannot be ex- 

 plained otherwise than by the conclusion that under 

 the mere impulse of instinct animals are entirely un- 

 conscious of the final tendency, so brilliantly mani- 

 fested in their highly appropriate activity. 



A second proof that animals cannot know the pur- 

 pose of their instinctive actions has often been derived 

 from their peculiar and constant regularity. "A still 

 more important reason," says Wundt, "which op- 

 poses the derivation of merely instinctive actions from 

 conscious reasoning, may be found in the fact that 

 they are repeated by all individuals of the same spec- 

 ies with great regularity, though there is no possibility 



