1 8 Instinct and Intelligence 



tude of fully-charged nerve cells, exposed to a 

 constant flow of incoming energy derived from 

 internal and external sources. This flow effects 

 a discharge of part of the latent energy of the 

 cells in the form of nervous energy, and may 

 become manifest in instinctive and intellectual 

 processes. 



With regard to Instincts, more than a century 

 ago Sydney Smith wrote as follows : " The most 

 common notion now prevalent with respect to 

 animals is that they are guided by instinct ; 

 that the discriminating circumstance between 

 the minds of animals and of man is that the 

 former do what they do from instinct, the latter 

 from reason. When I call that principle upon 

 which the bees or any other animal proceed to 

 their labour the principle of instinct, I only 

 mean that it is not a principle of reason. How- 

 ever the knowledge is gained, it is not gained as 

 our knowledge is gained. It is not gained by 

 experience or imitation. ... It cannot be inven- 

 tion, or the adaptation of means to ends, because 

 as the animal works before he knows what event 

 is going to happen, he cannot know what the 

 end is to which he is accommodating the means : 



