136 SALMONIA. [FIFTH DAY 



ladder of ascent to paradise ; and, far above all com- 

 binations of earthly hopes, calls up the most delightful 

 visions of palms and amaranths, the gardens of the 

 blest, the security of everlasting joys, where the 

 sensualist and the sceptic view only gloom, decay, 

 annihilation, and despair ! 



POIET. You transiently referred, Halieus, yester- 

 day, to that instinct of salmons which induces them 

 to run up rivers from the sea on the approach of rain. 

 You have had so many opportunities of attending to 

 the instincts of the inferior animals, that I should be 

 very glad to hear your opinion on that very curious 

 subject the nature and development of instincts in 

 general. 



HAL. You must remember, that, in the conversa- 

 tion to which you allude, I avoided even to pretend 

 to define the nature of instinct ; but I shall willingly 

 discuss the subject; and I expect from yourself, 

 Ornither, and Physicus, more light thrown upon it 

 than I can hope to bestow. 



ORN. I believe we have each a peculiar view on 

 this matter. In discussion we may enlighten and 

 correct each other. For myself, I consider instincts 

 merely as results of organisation, a part of the 

 machinery of organised forms. Man is so constituted, 

 that his muscles acquire their power by habit ; their 

 motions are at first automatic, and become voluntary 



