MAMMALS 7 1 



realise the immense importance of play. It is the 

 school in which the animal learns to play its part in the 

 struggle for life. Without these early gambols the 

 animal would be clumsy and stupid when it leaves its 

 mother, and would be quite unfit to meet the stress of 

 life. The animal must play, and must therefore pass 

 through a period of youth. Thus we are now in a 

 position to say that the play is not there because of the 

 youth, but that a period of sheltered youth has been 

 provided by Nature for the purpose of play. 



Play is, therefore, absolutely necessary for the young 

 animal. And in order that it may play often, a feeling 

 of pleasure has to be attached to the exercise. It is 

 true that the first impulse to play comes from instinct, 

 which urges the animal to stir itself, especially in 

 directions that have some relation to later life ; and we 

 have already seen that the instincts of play are im- 

 perfectly developed instincts of food-getting, flight, etc., 

 which must appear in youth and afford the little one a 

 means of acquiring the bodily adroitness that it needs. 

 The exercise of every instinct is pleasant in itself, still 

 we may legitimately speak of the lust for food, for 

 fighting, and even for murder, and make use of the- 

 phrase, " to satisfy one's impulses." Nevertheless it is 

 clear that this feeling is much strengthened in play. It 

 is quite certain that even the most incorrigible brawler 

 does not feel as much pleasure in his serious fighting 

 as boys do in their romping. This is even clearer if we 

 take instincts the serious use of which is never agreeable, 

 such as flight from an enemy. With what pleasure 

 children, and even young animals, chase each other 



