24- Instinct and Intelligence 



states that an Amoeba living in water containing 

 numerous diatoms of relatively large size, may 

 be seen to engulf a number of these apparently 

 inconveniently large objects almost to the ex- 

 clusion of other substances, thus making a dis- 

 crimination between things good for food and 

 things not good. Moreover, if watched for a 

 long time, the movements of an Amoeba are 

 seen to be of a purposive character; that is to 

 say, they are adapted to the necessities of the 

 organism, as is evident when an obstacle is met 

 with, or when the animalcule endeavours to seize 

 and ingest some object that rolls away from it, 

 or attempts to capture a smaller member of its 

 own kind for food. 1 



Professor Jennings on one occasion saw a 

 large Amoeba seize a small one and encircle it 

 by means of pseudopodia which were then re- 

 tracted; but the embrace of the small by the 

 large Amoeba not being complete, the former 

 animal escaped; upon which the large Amoeba 

 reversed the course it was following and pur- 

 sued its prey. Professor Jennings states with 



1 An Introduction to the Study of the Comparative Anatomy of 

 Animals, by Gilbert C. Bourne, M.A., D.Sc., Professor of Com- 

 parative Anatomy, University of Oxford, Vol. I., p. 134. Second 

 edition. 



