THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT 319 
readiness of response to which it so effectually ministers, to 
forget that it is also a psychological training. In technical 
phraseology, we are disposed to fix our attention on the acquired 
co-ordination of act and movement rather than on the correla- 
tion of conscious data, which renders possible the skilful per- 
formance. And yet, rightly considered, the behaviour itself is 
simply the outcome of a conscious situation, duly elaborated, 
and knit together through the association and coalescence of 
its constituent data. It isa means to the unification of con- 
sciousness by bringing into relation scattered and, at first, quasi- 
independent sensory and emotional elements. Success is only 
attained through the concentration of attention and effort on 
that which is the centre of interest and also the focus of 
endeavour. And this close attention and well-directed effort, 
which are trained in the playful output of energy, are just the 
mental qualities which will stand the animal in good stead 
when the real incidence of life’s struggle comes upon it, when 
the reward of success is survival and the penalty of failure 
elimination. For they are not merely physical qualities, though 
their effects are bodily movements of attack and defence, of 
active escape, or merely “lying low.” They are essential 
psychological features of a unified and well-directed conative 
process. 
In the fairly abundant play-time of animal life, this unifica- 
tion and direction of conative process can take form under 
conditions wherein the preliminary failures which accompany 
all forms of learning do not entail the severe penalty of 
elimination. If we may so put it, and so apply a deeply 
instructive parable, Natural Selection says to her more favoured 
children, in which conscious situations can be developed, “ Here 
are the talents with which I have endowed you; make use of 
them till I come, as come I shall in due time.” This animal 
puts them out to usury in play ; that animal keeps them laid 
up in the napkin of inactivity. Then Natural Selection, the 
austere one, comes ; gives the commendation of survival to the 
animal that had learnt to put its talents to use in the period of 
preparation, and condemns to elimination that which had not 
