288 THE BRAIN OF FISHES. 



to the degree of manifestation of the intellectual 

 faculties. Now, the brain of fishes is remarkable 

 for its small size ; and of the various parts of which 

 it is composed, the hemispheres are the least. 

 Hence we have good reason for assuming that, as 

 intellectual beings, fishes do not merit a higher 

 position than that in which they have been placed 

 by the naturalist. A few instances are recorded 

 which seem to exhibit a power of association of 

 ideas on the part of the fish; for example, their 

 approach to the margin of a stream or pool to be 

 fed; but this can only be regarded as one of the 

 humblest of the mental manifestations ; and they 

 would be as likely to advance towards an enemy 

 as a friend if the position of the stranger corre- 

 sponded with that of their accustomed feeder. 



Sensation, like intellect, resides in the hemi- 

 spheres of the brain, and the inference deduced 

 from the smallness of these organs appears to be 

 just with regard to the faculty in question. Fishes 

 are as deficient in sensation as they are abounding 

 in motion ; but the two faculties have no neces- 

 sary connection with each other; few of the 

 motions of the fish are due to sensation, and 

 almost as few to the will; therefore, motion alone 

 cannot be taken as an index of sensation. 



The mobility of fish is an obvious quality of 

 these animals, and the instrument by which motion 

 is effected the largest in their whole economy. 



