true Nature of Instinct. 155 



The two-fold division which has been made of the conscious 

 faculties of animals, into Intellectual Powers^ including intelli- 

 gence ; and jictive or Instinctive Powers, which are supposed to 

 be destitute of intelligence; is, I conceive, when viewed in its 

 results, far from being satisfactory or conclusive. It appears that 

 similar powers, which, on the one hand, when they are specifically 

 treated of, are said to be exercised in freedom, and not neces- 

 sarily ; are yet, on the other, when the effects of the unknown 

 principle of instinct are discussed, comprehended in it, considered 

 as being exercised necessarily^ and thus enlisted into the service, 

 and placed in the ranks, of the Instinctive Powers : so that the 

 Intellectual Powers are marshalled under the orders of Instinct, 

 and the Instinctive Powers under those of Intellect, reciprocally, 

 as the exigencies of the service may require. As it is highly ne- 

 cessary therefore, that the subject should be divested, if possible, 

 of a perplexity, which if uuremoved would baffle every attempt 

 towards elucidation, I trust I shall be excused for the freedom 

 of the remarks I am about to offer upon the Chapter on the 

 ' Faculties of the Mind,' which forms a part of Dr. Fleming's 

 * Philosophy of Zoology.' With respect to the conscious capa- 

 bilities of the Brute Mind, it is plainly inconsistent, to bring the 

 principle of proper intelligence into requisition, in order to ex- 

 plain the accomplishment of instinctive acts : for if this be done, 

 the lower we descend in the scale of creation, the more perfect 

 should be the intellect ascribed to the creature ; and the palm of 

 intelligence should be awarded to the Insect world. 



That Man has no connate knowledge is a maxim of true philo- 

 sophy and of experience. It does not even appear capable of 

 proof, that the infant applies from any connate knowledge to its 

 mother's breast, but is taught by applications on the part of the 

 mother or the nurse : it knows not how to walk, to articulate, nor 

 even to express the affections of love ; it will catch at any thing, 

 however hurtful, that it can lay its hands upon, and apply it to its 

 mouth. The reverse of all this is displayed in the Brute; as is well 

 known. Surely then Divine Wisdom must necessarily have con- 

 trived and ordained these things, for the purpose of effecting a 

 total separation of the Human from the Brute nature ; — to the end 



