Habit and Instinct. 433 



the cells and fibres of the cerebral hemispheres. And this 

 complex play of forces, which finds its physiological ex- 

 pression in a lengthening of the time of latency, finds also 

 a psychological expression in the rise of consciousness." 

 Now, since in many instinctive activities the stimulus 

 " merely needs to touch the trigger of a ready-formed 

 apparatus of response," I think that they may be uncon- 

 scious. And Mr. Romanes thus himself supplies the 

 reason for rejecting his own definition of instinct as " reflex 

 action into which there is imported the element of con- 

 sciousness." Of course, logically, Mr. Eomanes can reply, 

 "It is merely a question of where we draw the line ; if the 

 activity is unconscious, it is a reflex action; if conscious, 

 it is an instinct." I think this unsatisfactory, (1) because 

 the criterion of consciousness, from its purely inferential 

 nature, is practically impossible of application with 

 accuracy ; (2) because the same series of activities may 

 probably at one time be unconscious and at another time 

 conscious ; and (3) because many actions which are almost 

 universally regarded as reflex actions may at times be 

 accompanied by consciousness, and would then have, on 

 Mr. Romanes's view, to be regarded as instincts. 



Having made this initial criticism, I may now state 

 that I regard Mr. Romanes's treatment of instinct as most 

 admirable and masterly. Building upon the foundation 

 laid by Charles Darwin, he has worked out the theory of 

 instinct in a manner at once broad and yet minute, lucid 

 and yet close, definite in doctrine and yet not blind to 

 difficulties. If I say that it is a piece of work worthy of 

 the great master whose devoted disciple Mr. Romanes has 

 proved himself, I am according it the highest praise in my 

 power. I have ventured in this volume to criticize some 

 of Mr. Romanes's conclusions in the field of animal in- 

 telligence. And lest I should seem to undervalue his 

 work, lest our few divergences should seem to hide our 

 many parallelisms, I take this opportunity of testifying 

 to my great and sincere admiration of the results of 

 his careful and exact observations, his patient and thought- 



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