[6 SYSTEMATIC ZOOLOGY FOR TEACHERS. 



are common to all mankind, such as fear, maternal affection, attrac- 

 tion for bright colors etc. Many of these strong emotions have been 

 inherited through long lines of ancestors, often far back into savage 

 life. 



Now what is thought? Thought is caused by an impression re- 

 ceived through one of the senses which causes the vibration of some 

 cells in which are recorded similar thoughts. But unless there is 

 stored in the brain some associated thought to respond to a new 

 impression, this new impression is not recorded. Hence we often hear 

 and see without understanding. 



These potential, or stored thoughts, may be inherited or derived 

 from some source outside of the person in whose brain they have been 

 recorded. In case of the infant, they at first are all inherited ; hence 

 we find that the first evidence we have of the infant exercising any 

 thinking capacity, is when some object is presented to it which causes 

 the cells of the inherited potential thought to vibrate. Thus a very 

 young child sees a bright ball in motion, swung back and forth before 

 its eyes, for example. The inherited bright color thought cells vibrate 

 in response to this new impression, this vibration is extended to 

 delicate nerve fibers and by them is carried to the retina of the eye, 

 which is prepared to receive the new, but kindred impression. 

 This new impression, or thought, is then in its turn recorded, but 

 only as a very vague undeveloped thought. It is, however, a beginning : 

 one thought in the vast vocabulary of potential thoughts which are to 

 be stored in that individual mind throughout life. 



Another movement of the ball, and still another thought, this 

 time a little clearer, and better defined, for this time the thought just 

 received, also assisted in the vibration. I have said that the thought 

 was better defined, but the degree of advancement was infinitesimally 

 small, yet the child has " begun to notice" as we say. Soon this no- 

 ticing begins to give it a sense of pleasure, such as we all expeiience 

 to a greater or less degree, when we see objects, or hear sounds, 

 which are what we call pleasing. Then the infant reaches out for 

 the ball. This gives a new kind of thought, and when it feels the 

 ball, still another, and thus it goes on, but at first all of these im- 

 pressions are associated with bright colors, and hence they are more 

 quickly awakened by the sight of bright colors. 



But as the child's education advances, for all this storing of po- 

 tential thought, this mind building, is of course education, through 

 thoughts associated with color-thoughts come other thoughts ; of form 

 and, as we have seen, through touch, of hardness etc. Thus after a 

 time, the mind, by constant succession, acquires thoughts which are 



