142 SALMONIA. [FIFTH DAY. 



PHYS. I have been accustomed to refer many of 

 the supposed instincts of animals, such as migrations, 

 building nests, and selection of food, to imitation; 

 but, I confess, I cannot explain the last fact you have 

 brought forward on this principle, Pray, Ornither, 

 let me state your view, as I understand it, that we 

 may not differ as to the meaning of language. I 

 conclude you adopt Hartley's view of association, that 

 the motions of the muscles in man are first automatic, 

 and become voluntary by association ; and that reason 

 is the application of voluntary motions for a particular 

 end. For instance : a child is not afraid of fire, but, 

 bringing its hand near the fire, it is burnt, and the 

 convulsions of the muscles produced by the pain end 

 in removing the hand from the source of pain. These 

 motions by association are made voluntary ; and after 

 this experiment he avoids the fire by reason, and takes 

 care always to perform those motions which remove 

 his limbs from this destructive agent. But in 

 contrasting instinct with this slow process, you would 

 say, most animals, without having felt the effects of 

 fire, have an innate dread of it ; and in the same way, 

 without having been taught, or experienced pleasure 

 or pain from the object, young ducks seek the water, 

 young chickens avoid it : their organs have a fitness 

 or unfitness for certain functions, and they use them 

 for these functions without education. In short, the 



