420 Animal Life and Intelligence. 



number of bodily activities. All he has to do is to learn 

 how to use it and to make himself master of the powers 

 that are given him. 



At first, the acquisition of this mastery over the innate 

 powers, even in the performance of comparatively simple 

 muscular adjustments, may require a good deal of attention 

 and practice. But, as time goes on, the frequent repetition 

 of the ordinary activities of everyday life leads to their 

 easier and easier performance. In simple responsive 

 actions the appropriate activity follows readily on the 

 appropriate stimulus. And, ere long, many acts which at 

 first required intelligent attention are performed easily 

 and without consciousness of effort or definite intention. 

 A close association between certain oft-recurring stimuli 

 and the appropriate response in activity is thus established, 

 and the action follows on the stimulus without hesitation or 

 trouble. With fuller experience and further practice in the 

 ordinary avocations of life, the responsive activities link 

 themselves more and more closely in association, become 

 more and more complex, are combined in series and classes 

 of activity of greater length and accuracy, and thus become 

 organized into habits. Under this head fall those activities 

 which we learn with difficulty in childhood, and perform 

 with ease in after-life. At first voluntary and intentional, 

 they have become, or are becoming, through frequency 

 and uniformity of performance, more or less involuntary 

 and unintentional. 



" The work of the world is," we are told, " for the most 

 part done by people of whom nobody ever hears. The 

 political machine and the social machine are under the 

 ostensible control of personages who are well to the front ; 

 but these brilliant beings would be sorely perplexed, and 

 the machinery would soon come to a standstill, but for 

 certain experienced, unambitious, and unobtrusive members 

 of society." So is it also in the economy of animal life. 

 The work of life is — to paraphrase Mr. Norris's words — for 

 the most part done by habits of which nobody ever thinks. 

 The bodily organization is ostensibly under the control of 



