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There are some who seem to wish it 

 should be beheved, that the instincts of 

 animals, and the curious arts and expedients 

 which they employ to obtain food, and 

 avoid injury, are the effects of reason ; but 

 they cannot maintain this opinion, except 

 by granting to the lowest kinds of ani- 

 mals a greater share of intelligence than 

 they themselves possess, or can have any 

 idea of We may take some spider's eggs, 

 and when hatched, select a young one who 

 never has had any communication with his 

 species ; and we shall find, that in due sea- 

 son, without a plan or preparatory attempts, 

 it will construct as curious a web as any of 

 his ancestry ; then secrete himself till an 

 unwary fly becomes entangled, which he 

 will suddenly seize and destroy. Gall and 

 Spurzheim, however, represent these ani- 

 mal propensities as operating without rea- 

 son, when excited by external circumstances. 

 We have an oj)portunity of witnessing the 



