heritage which we share with them in large meas- 

 ure. It is an unmeaning word at best ; for no one 

 has told us, except in the vaguest way, what in- 

 stinct is, or has set the limit where instinct ends 

 and conscious intelligence begins, or has shown how 

 far the primary instincts of a child differ from those 

 of any other animal. On the other hand, one who 

 watches animals closely and sympathetically must 

 judge from what he sees that the motives which 

 govern an animal's action are often very much like 

 our own, the difference being that the animal's mo- 

 tive is more simple and natural than ours, and that 

 among the higher orders the greater part of an 

 animal's life — playing, working, seeking food, mak- 

 ing dens, outwitting other animals, avoiding traps 

 and enemies — is directed not by a blind instinct 

 but by a very wide-awake intelligence. And this in- 

 telligence begins by the use of native powers and is 

 strengthened by their daily occupation ; is encour- 

 aged and developed by the mother's training and 

 example as she leads her little ones into the world, 

 and is perfected by the animal's own experience, 

 which he remembers in the face of new problems 



xix 



{Preface 



/^v>s 



