133 HUMBLE CREATURES. 



to divide the whole mental nature of those races, 

 including man, into two circumscribed proviaces, 

 "iastiact" and "reason"? 



It is hut very recently that physiologists began to 

 detect those true typical features, external and inter- 

 nal, that characterize the various groups of animals ; 

 and we believe that, when as much attention shall 

 have been devoted by naturalists to the considera- 

 tion of the psychical properties of animals as has been 

 brought to bear upon the iavestigation of their bodily 

 structure, the old boundary that separates instinct 

 from reason wiU disappear, and they will find nume- 

 rous avenues through which to pass from one field of 

 mental life to the other. The time is not far distant 

 when a scientific account of the mental attributes of 

 every group (or, if needful, of every genus or species) 

 of animals wiU be deemed an indispensable adjunct 

 to works on zoology ; and, as the class of readers who 

 were formerly satisfied with a superficial description, 

 provided it was an iateresting one, of the external 

 forms and characteristics of animals, now require to 

 be enlightened with regard to their anatomy and 

 physiology, so will such as are at present contented 

 with a few anecdotes concerning their habits and 

 mode of life, expect to be minutely informed regard- 

 ing their inner springs of action, and the relation of 

 these to the visible organs of the living fabric. When 

 we observe how rapidly whole races of animals are 

 disappearing from the surface of the globe, we cannot 

 fail to perceive the importance of such a work, which 



