Reason and Instinct. 2341 



is confined * to those creatures which have come into contact with 

 him, who, as the poet says, " in reason " is so " noble." The question, 

 How far, or to what degree, are they possessed of the power of reason- 

 ing ? is one by no means easy satisfactorily to answer. It involves 

 comparisons which require the nicest calculation and considerations 

 of a highly complex character ; and perhaps, after all, it might not be 

 practicable to arrive at any very definite conclusion. One thing, 

 however, is certain, that if entered into here it would expand the pre- 

 sent observations beyond anything like moderate limits, and still pos- 

 sibly fail of meeting with proper discussion. At some future time, 

 however, we hope to return to it. 



It may, perhaps, be objected, as regards the soundness of the con- 

 clusion we have come to, that our reasonings are not supported by a 

 sufficient array of facts, — that we have arrived at our induction with- 

 out having examined the requisite number of individual phenomena. 

 Our reply must be, that if this seems to any one to be the case, we 

 have at all events given a full and practical account of the way in 

 which we have arrived at the conclusion : we have, so to speak, put 

 our own formulae and means of calculation within the reach of all and 

 every, objector or not. Let the objector take the first volume he 

 meets with of records of animal sagacity, and test the actions described 

 by a reference of them to the definitions given above, and I have not 

 the slightest doubt that long before he has gone through one half — 

 nay, one-tenth part — of the instances given (one little book, we believe, 

 professes to give five hundred !), he will own himself amply satisfied 



* Since writing the above I have had the opportunity of looking into Mr. Couch's 

 1 Illustrations of Instinct.' With the appearance of considerable discrepancy between 

 his views and my own, I am yet inclined to think there is at bottom much more of 

 real coincidence, when he says " I have purposely avoided drawing any illustrations 

 of intellect from the history of the dog ; because, however sagacious many of its actions 

 are, an objection might be raised that its proceedings are influenced by the long-con- 

 tinued habit of receiving instruction from man." — (p. 187). This goes the whole 

 length of what I have contended for above ; while, as I conceive, what I have called 

 " untutored intelligence or nascent power of reasoning" differs not very widely from 

 the capacity to " pursue a process of reasoning from facts or principles recognized by 

 themselves," (p. 197), which he claims for animals (in general) ; inasmuch as, in his 

 preface, he expresses an opinion that " if a higher degree of training were founded on 

 a close study of their (the animals') individual faculties, the result would be of im- 

 portance to human interests." I trust I may be allowed to take this opportunity to 

 express the pleasure which the as yet unfinished perusal of Mr. Couch's book has 

 given me : I cannot but think it a valuable contribution in aid of the pursuits of the 

 practical naturalist and observer. 



VII C 



