244 THE FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS 
of abiding interest to social animals, because they are also the 
centres of social behaviour and the conscious situations arising 
thereout ; because they evoke in special ways the attentive 
situation. 
The differentiated thing being thus a centre of interest, a 
relatively fixed nucleus in a changing conscious situation, the 
development of which is due to behaviour, there can be no 
question that, among social animals, the companion becomes 
a peculiar and specialized centre. Around him develops a 
particular type of behaviour. Towards him the reactions are 
of a quite distinctive kind. Mother and offspring, mate and 
mate, are reciprocal centres of interest. To the offspring the 
parent is a common centre of interest. As they grow up 
together, what is of interest to one is likewise of interest at 
the same time to others. Imitation begets similarity of con- 
scious situations. In many ways such community of interest 
is fostered ; and through this community of interest the con- 
scious situations acquire their distinctively social character. 
Not only is the companion, as the nucleus of a situation, a 
thing which reacts in altogether special ways, so that it becomes 
differentiated from other things as something the meaning 
of which, and the interest in which, are sui generis and unique 
in type; but it enters into other situations in ways that are 
also peculiar and characteristic. A worm is thrown to a couple 
of chicks, and is to each a centre of interest—the nucleus of 
a situation involving appropriate modes of behaviour. But 
into this situation there enters for each of them, in a quite 
peculiar and distinctive way, the action and behaviour of the 
other chick. The situation is complicated by the introduction 
of a second centre of interest, and the behaviour has reference 
to both centres. Instead of quietly and leisurely dealing 
with the worm in accordance with its special meaning, as 
it does when there is no rival in the field, the chick darts at it, 
and bolts with it in accordance with the special meaning 
which its neighbour’s presence, under such circumstances, has 
acquired. And this different behaviour carries with it a felt 
difference in the conscious situation—the interest of which is 
