120 IN THE ACADIAN LAND. 



tion or inclination to do the best thing for itself 

 without thinking at all. In that case we may 

 inquire if this instinct was revealed to the first 

 pair of squirrels of this species, and has passed 

 by inheritance ever since to all of them, or is it 

 imparted after birth to each individual ? If we 

 can get at the bottom facts this instance of in- 

 stinct may be explained in a natural way, but 

 many other instances thus far have had no solu- 

 tion. It will be found that our squirrels have 

 inherited a habit of their ancestors. But what 

 about their ancestors ? How did they acquire 

 the habit? The first fact of prime importance 

 in the study of all living things is the hard 

 struggle for existence that all forms of life must 

 surely meet. To get clear of being eaten and 

 find something to eat have always been the 

 chief aims of animal life. Hunger is a sharp 

 demand that cannot be long delayed, or death 

 will claim a victim ; but there are always more 

 mouths than morsels; by far the larger por- 

 tion of all lower animals produced are either 

 eaten by other animals, or they starve to death. 

 Throw to a flock of hens a handful or two of 

 bits of bread and notice, if they are hungry, 

 how eagerly they contend, and how each one 

 tries to secure the largest piece in her bill and 

 run away to a place where she can eat it 



