﻿84 Darwin, and after Darwin. 



volitional response to cutaneous irritation. Were 

 it necessary, this argument might be strengthened 

 by observing that the reflex action is positively 

 improved by removal of the brain. 



The second example of a nascent reflex in dogs 

 which I have to mention is as follows. 



Goltz found that his brainless dogs, when wetted 

 with water, would shake themselves as dry as possible, 

 in just the same way as normal dogs will do under 

 similar circumstances. This, of course, proves that 

 the shaking movements may be performed by a 

 reflex mechanism, which can have no other function 

 to perform in the organization of a dog, and which, 

 besides being of a highly elaborate character, will 

 respond only to a very special kind of stimulation. 

 Now, here also I find that the mechanism is con- 

 genital, or not acquired by individual experience. 

 Fi>r the puppies on which I experimented were kept 

 indoors from the time of their birth — so as never 

 to have had any experience of being wetted by rain, 

 &c. — till they were old enough to run about with 

 a full power of co-ordinating their general movements. 

 If these young animals were suddenly plunged into 

 water, the shock proved too great : they would 

 merely lie and shiver. But if their feet alone were 

 wetted, by being dipped in a basin of water, the 

 puppies would soon afterwards shake their heads in 

 the peculiar manner which is required for shaking 

 water off the ears, and which in adult dogs consti- 

 tutes the first phase of a general shaking of the 

 whole body. 



Here, then, we seem to have good evidence of all 

 the same facts which were presented in the case of the 



