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CHAPTER XI. 



ANIMAL ACTIVITIES : HABIT AND INSTINCT. 



So soon as one of the higher animals comes into the world 

 a number of simple vital activities are already in progress 

 or are at once initiated. Some of these are what are 

 termed " automatic actions," or actions which take their 

 origin within the organ which manifests the activity ; 

 such are the heart-beat and the rhythmical contractions 

 of the intestines by which the food is pushed onwards 

 through the alimentary canal. Some are reflex, or 

 responsive, actions, taking origin from a stimulus coming 

 from without ; such are the contraction of the pupil of the 

 eye under bright light, the pouring forth of the secretions 

 on the presence of food in the alimentary canal, taking the 

 breast, sneezing, and so forth. Some are partly automatic 

 and partly reflex ; such is the rhythm of respiration. 



In addition to these vital activities, there is a vast body 

 of more complex activities, for the performance of which 

 the animal brings with it innate capacities. Some of 

 these, which we term "instinctive," are performed at once 

 and without any individual training, as when a chicken steps 

 out into the world, runs about, and picks up food without 

 learning or practice. Others, which we term "habitual," 

 are more or less rapidly learnt, and are then performed 

 without forethought or attention. The store of innate 

 capacity is often very large ; and a multitude of activities 

 are ere long performed with ease and certainty so soon as 

 the animal has learnt to use the organization it thus 

 inherits. And lastly, built upon this as a basis, by recom- 

 bining of old activities in new modes, and by special applica- 



