EVOLUTION OF INSTINCTIVE BEHAVIOUR 109 
adduced in support of such transmission. In their explanation 
of the manner in which that inherited co-ordination, which is 
biologically the central fact in instinctive behaviour, has been 
evolved they rely mainly or entirely on the principle of natural 
selection. 
What, then, were the facts which appeared to Romanes 
sufficient to justify a belief in the existence of a class of 
instincts dependent on inherited habit for their origin? He 
tells us that he only gives a few examples ‘“‘ amongst’ almost 
any number” that he could quote. It is certainly unfortunate 
that, out of more than one hundred and fifty pages devoted to 
instinct in his work on ‘“‘ Mental Evolution in Animals,” only 
three * are assigned to secondary instincts ; or six, if we include 
one dealing with inherited peculiarities of hand-writing in 
man, and two showing the force of heredity in the domain 
of instinct, “ whether of the primary or secondary class.” It 
is true that many pages are devoted to instincts of blended 
origin, but the co-operation of the Lamarckian factor is here 
rather assumed than proved. We must, however, be content 
to take the few examples that are actually given. They are 
four in number. First, that ponies in Norway are used with- 
out bridles, and are trained to obey the voice; and that, as 
a consequence, a race-peculiarity has been established, for 
Andrew Knight says that it is impossible to give them what 
is called “a mouth.” No details being given, this strikes one 
as rather thin as a matter of evidence. Secondly, Mr. Lawson 
Tait had a cat which was taught to beg for food like a terrier. 
All her kittens adopted the same habit under circumstances 
which precluded the possibility of imitation. Supposing the 
facts to be correctly reported, and granting that the owners 
of the kittens, presumably aware of the maternal propensity, 
did not take some pains to teach the offspring of such a parent 
to beg (and this does not present much difficulty), one can 
hardly found a scientific conclusion on so slight an anecdotal 
basis. ‘Thirdly, instinctive fear is said to be an inherited 
acquisition ; which, fourthly, is lost by disuse. But, as we 
* Op. cit., pp. 196-198. 
