66 INSTINCTS 



some impulse in a desire to please, or a propen- 

 sity to obey. Her playing, in the automatic 

 character of its execution, precisely resembles the 

 movements that are guided by our " reflex " 

 nervous system, or the instinctive behaviour of an 

 insect, and we appear to be quite justified in 

 assuming that in these cases also, behind the 

 elaborate functioning of nerves and nerve-cells, 

 there lies an impulse which dictates the general 

 line of conduct. The action of the stomach that 

 seems to be stimulated by the touch of food is 

 driven by the impulse of self-preservation ; the 

 bee, in fashioning its comb, is guided by a special 

 directive instinct, but is impelled by its constructive, 

 or reproductive instinct. This view is directly 

 opposed to the very general hypothesis that life 

 may be defined in terms of chemical com- 

 pounds or of bodily organs. But it is very strongly 

 borne out by the fact that the most elementary 

 kinds of plants and animals lead a complicated 

 life of sensation and reaction without the assis- 

 tance of any organs whatever. 



It is desirable to insist again upon the distinc- 

 tion that is drawn, in this analysis, between two 

 very different kinds of instinct the one a set of 

 impulsive, the other a set of directive energies. It 

 is unfortunate that the term " instinct " is associ- 

 ated with both of them. Impulsive instinct 

 urges us along certain general lines of action : 

 thus the impulse of self-preservation prompts us 

 to eat when hungry, to run away when in fear ; 

 the impulse of reproduction prompts us to protect 

 our young. Directive instinct is concerned with 

 particular methods of action : thus the directive 

 instinct of the horse limits its diet to herbage 

 and grain ; that of the bee enables it to construct 



