94 NATURAL SELECTION Iv 
the same way and as perfectly as their parents did, instinct 
would be proved in their case; now it is only assumed, and 
assumed, as I shall show further on, without any sufficient 
reason. So, no one has ever carefully taken the pups of a 
hive of bees out of the comb, removed them from the presence 
of other bees, and loosed them in a large conservatory with 
plenty of flowers and food, and observed what kind of cells 
they would construct. But till this is done, no one can say 
that bees build without instruction, no one can say that with 
every new swarm there are no bees older than those of the 
last brood, who may be the teachers in forming the new 
comb. Now, in a scientific inquiry, a point which can be 
proved should not be assumed, and a totally unknown power 
should not be brought in to explain facts, when known 
powers may be sufficient. For both these reasons I decline to 
accept the theory of instinct in any case where all other 
possible modes of explanation have not been exhausted. 
Does Man possess Instincts 
Many of the upholders of the instinctive theory maintain 
that man has instincts exactly of the same nature as those of 
animals, but more or less liable to be obscured by his reason- 
ing powers ; andas this is a case more open to our observation 
than any other, I will devote a few pages to its consideration. 
Infants are said to suck by instinct, and afterwards to walk 
by the same power, while in adult man the most prominent 
case of instinct is supposed to be the powers possessed by 
savage races to find their way across a trackless and previously 
unknown wilderness. Let us take first the case of the infant’s 
sucking. It is sometimes absurdly stated that the new-born 
infant “seeks the breast,” and this is held to be a wonderful 
proof of instinct. No doubt it would be if true, but unfortu- 
nately for the theory it is totally false, as every nurse and 
medical man can testify. Still, the child undoubtedly sucks 
without teaching, but this is one of those simple acts depend- 
ent upon organisation, which cannot properly be termed 
instinct, any more than breathing or muscular motion. Any 
object of suitable size in the mouth of an infant excites the 
nerves and muscles so as to produce the act of suction, and 
when, at a little later period, the will comes into play, the 
