378 
to us very important indeed. In the present state of our 
knowledge of the subject a few such “trifling facts” are 
worth more than many volumes of ingenious speculation. 
We come now to the more weighty question which 
formed the subject of Mr, Darwin’s first letter. Is it 
probable that instincts have any other origin than trans- 
mission by inheritance of acquisitions resulting from what 
we call individual experience? We are here at the very 
outside edge of human knowledge, in a region where no 
prudent person would venture to speak with confidence. 
Indeed the mode of origin recognised in the question still 
appears a “wild theory” to such respectable representa- 
tives of educated opinion as the Spectator. Had it been 
our good fortune to know as matter of certain history that 
the well-marked instinctive antipathy towards butchers of 
the dog King and his descendants was originally produced 
by ill-treatment, we should have had evidence of the most 
positive and direct kind, that sometimes at least instincts 
do originate in this way. There seems no hope of getting 
such evidence in this particular ease ; and indeed it may 
well be that the instinct in question is much more ancient 
than Mr. Darwin seems inclined to suppose. It is however 
to be hoped that before long some lover of animals will try 
his hand at actually producing a newinstinct. But while 
Mr. Darwin regards it as probable that most instincts are 
examples of inherited experience, he thinks it “almost 
certain that many of the most wonderful instincts have 
been acquired independently of habit, through the pre- 
servation of useful variations of pre-existing instincts, 
Other instincts may have arisen suddenly in an indi- 
vidual, and then been transmitted to its offspring, inde- 
pendently both of selection and serviceable experience, 
though subsequently strengthened by habit. The tum- 
bler-pigeon is a case in point, for no one would have 
thought of teaching a pigeon to turn head over heels in 
the air; and until some bird exhibited a tendency in this 
direction, there could have been no selection.” The 
authority of Mr. Spencer may be adduced in support of 
Mr. Darwin’s position. He speaks of “the natural selec- 
tion of zwcidenta/ variations,” and of feelings that cannot 
be referred to “the inherited effects of experiences.” 
Nevertheless, let us look closely at this matter. Will 
Mr. Darwin’s view bear to be stated in such a way as to 
express more than the fact that in a great many instances 
we cannot conceive how the instincts originated? Will 
it bear to be put in this form: that it is almost certain 
that many of the most wonderful instincts had their 
origin in useful variations or sudden conjunctions of psy- 
chical states of such a character as could not by possi- 
bility have any relation to the experiences either of the 
individual itself or of its ancestry? Anything short of 
this will, it seems to us, scarcely amount to the conten- 
tion that instincts have a mode of origin distinct from 
experience and heredity, That some other factor 
of unknown power may work along with experience 
and heredity in producing instincts, we are not in a 
position to deny. But still less are we in a position 
to say that there is such a factor, or what that factor 
is, or to admit that it ever operates independently of ex- 
perience and heredity. We do not know how the 
tumbling of the tumbler pigeon began. But suppose we 
were certain that we had witnessed the very first per- 
formance of this kind, and saw that it arose suddenly and 
NATURE 
without any assignable cause: What then? How did the 
tumbling begin? To call it an incidental variation is but a 
way—and, because to some minds it looks like an explana- 
tion, a bad way—of stating our ignorance. But could we say 
so much as that it was in no way connected with expéri- 
ence and heredity? We think fot. This tumbling is a 
fancy instinct, an outlet for the overflowing activity of a 
creature whose wants are all provided for without any 
exertion On its part. And if we had before us the evolt- 
tional history of the pigeon we might be able to point to 
some long obsolete instinct or useful action and say, 
behold, when on the wing, the superabundant energy of 
the creature has burst along the old long disused but not 
obliterated tracks, and see the strange result, 
This is the direction in which we think it would not 
be unscientific to look for an explanation, should we 
ever have any such facts to explain. A similar line of 
remark might be followed with respect to what Mr. Darwin 
calls useful variations of pre-existing instincts, The 
question is, whence these variations? Further, just in 
proportion as these variations are slight, must it be diffi- 
cult to say that they are not connected with experience 
with the experience of the individual. In pursuing this 
inquiry we should doubtless come on the question, What 
is meant by experience? Everybody, it may be said, 
surely knows that. Perhaps. It is, we think, probable 
that the discovery might be made that we have not very 
clear and well-defined ideas as to the exact nature, extent, 
and limits of what we call individual experience. OF 
course we cannot now enter on such an inquiry. 
SEPULCHRAL MONUMENTS OF CORNWALL* 
II. ' 
Nenia Cornubie. A descriptive essay, illustrative of the 
Sepulchres and Funereal Customs of the early Inhabi- 
tants of Cornwall. By W. Copeland Borlase, B.A., 
F.S.A. (London: Longmans; Truro: Netherton, 1872.) 
M R. BORLASE, assisted by a party of friends, early in 
1872, opened two barrows on the summit of one of 
the most commanding elevations in the district, about a 
quarter of a mile east of Trevelgue or Trevelga Cliff Castle, 
near St. Columb Minor. The most westerly is 250 ft. in 
circumference, 11 ft. high at the centre, and its greatest 
axis, having an east and west direction, is 10oft. At a 
depth of 2 or 3 ft. fromthe surface, the entire substratum, 
to the amount of several hundred cart-loads, was burnt 
earth, as red and almost as fine as brickdust. 
and towards the eastern side was a cairn of stones about 
12 ft. in diameter, and 4 ft. high, Many of them had been 
brought from the neighbouring beach, and were blackened 
by fire. Under this lay a large spar stone, such as does 
not occur in the district, singularly flat for a stone of the 
kind, measuring 10°5 X 5°4 X 1°75 ft., on a level with the 
surrounding country, and covering a chamber 6'16 ft. long 
from N.W. to S.E, 2°5ft. broad, and 2°75 ft. deep. Its 
sides were formed of four slate stones, 7 or 8 in. thick, and 
set on edge, on each of which the covering stone rested. 
The floor seemed to have been paved with slates, but — 
they had been displaced, and portions of an unusually 
thick human skull were found below them. 
The eastern or more conspicuous barrow was 80 ft. in 
diameter, 13 ft. high, and had a depression of 1°5 ft. at 
* Continued from p. 337- 
‘[Mar. 20, 1873 wy 
Beneath it 
