THE SCOPE OF MIND. 239 



time in establishing its liold. The entire scene was as like 

 intelhgent action on the part of both animals as could well be 

 imagnied. So that if we were to depend upon appearances 

 alone, this one observation would be sufficient to induce one 

 to impute conscious determination to these micro-organisms." 



However strongly such an illustration as this proves the 

 presence of psychic force, all may not be agreed as to the 

 question of consciousness. By some it is assumed, as we 

 have said, to accompany all psychic action. 



That unconscious psychic action is to be attributed to plants 

 seems a little startling and need not be pressed, but on the 

 other hand we think it must be admitted in all animals. 



Dr. Noah Porter says,* " The first acts of life, whether they 

 pertain to body or soul, are unconscious," and when Herbert 

 Spencer says,t " Reflex action is the lowest form of psychical 

 life," he thereby tacitly admits unconscious mind action in 

 animals. 



When we proceed higher in the scale another question 

 arises with regard to instinct and intelligence ; but again we 

 are confronted with the inscrutable problem of the connection 

 of the two, and the origin of the former. 



Consider an illustration given us by Romanes from a class 

 by no means renowned for instinct or for intelligence. 

 "Sticklebacks swim quietly about amidst rapacious pike which 

 do not attempt to attack them ; for if by oversight a pike even 

 actually attempts to swallow a stickleback, the latter with its 

 projecting dorsal spines sticks in his throat and the pike must 

 infallibly die of hunger, and accordingly cannot transmit his 

 painful experience to posterity.''^ 



Proceeding one step higher to insects, their instinct or 

 intelligence is summed up by Professor Lindsay in the 

 following 15 psychic phenomena§ : — 



1. Co-operation for a given purpose. 



2. Division of labour, working by turns, and relief 



parties. 



3. Obedience to authority, including language of com- 



mand. 

 -4, Understanding a language (often of touch). 

 5. Organization of ranks and military discipline. 



* The Human Intellect, N. Porter, p. 100. 



t Principles of Psychology, Herbert Spencer, vol. i, p. 428. 



I Animal Intelligence, Romanes, p. 99. 



,^ Mind in Animals, Lindsay, chap. vi. 



