16 eR SCIENCE. 
such.”’ Finally, cases of special difficulty are dealt 
with. ‘These may be classified under the following 
heads: 1. Similar instincts in unallied animals; 2. 
Dissimilar instincts in. allied animals; 3. Instincts 
apparently detrimental to the species which exhibit 
them; 4. Instincts performed only once during the 
lifetime of an animal; 5. Instincts of a trifling or 
useless character; 6. Special difficulties connected 
with the instinct of migration; 7. Sundry other in- 
stinets presenting more or less difficulty to the theory » 
of natural selection. , 
The ‘conclusion’ gives a summary of the general 
principles which have been set forth by the whole 
essay. This, therefore, we shall quote in extenso :— 
“We have in this chapter chiefly considered the 
instincts of animals under the point of view whether 
it is possible that they could have been acquired 
through the means indicated on our theory, or 
whether, even if the simpler ones could have been 
thus acquired, others are so complex and wonderful 
that they must have been specially endowed, and 
thus overthrow the theory. Bearing in mind the 
facts given on the acquirement, through the selec- 
tion of self-originating tricks or modification of in- 
stinct, or through training and habit aided in some 
slight degree by imitation, of hereditary actions and 
dispositions in our domesticated animals, and their 
parallelism (subject to having less time) to the in- 
stincts of animals in a state of nature; bearing in 
mind that in a state of nature instinets do certainly 
vary in some slight degree; bearing in mind how 
very generally we find in allied but distinct animals 
a gradation in the more complex instincts, which 
shows that it is at least possible that a complex in- 
stinct might have been acquired by successive steps, 
and which, moreover, generally indicates, according 
to our theory, the actual steps by which the instinct 
has been acquired, inasmuch as we suppose allied 
instincts to have branched off at different stages 
of descent from a common ancestor, and therefore to 
have retained, more or less unaltered, the instincts of 
the several lineal ancestral forms of any one species, 
— bearing all this in mind, together with the certainty 
that instincts are as important to an animal as their 
gerferally correlated structures, and that in the strug- 
gle for life under changing conditions slight modifi- 
cations of instinct could hardly fail occasionally to be 
profitable to individuals, I can see no overwhelming 
difficulty on our theory. Even in the most marvel- 
lous instinet known, that of the cells of the hive-bee, 
we have seen how a simple instinctive action may 
lead to results which fill the mind with astonishment. 
‘* Moreover, it seems to me that the very general 
fact of the gradation of complexity of instinets within 
the limits of the same group of animals, and likewise 
the fact of two allied species placed in two distant 
parts of the world and surrounded by wholly different 
conditions of life, still having very much in common 
in their instincts, support our theory of descent, for 
they are explained by it; whereas, if we look at each 
instinct as specially endowed, we can only say that 
itis so. The imperfections and mistakes of instinct 
on our theory cease to be surprising: indeed, it would 
be wonderful that far more numerous and flagrant 
cases could not be detected, if it were not that a 
species which has failed to become modified and so 
far perfected in its instincts that it could continue 
struggling with the co-inhabitants of the same region, 
would simply add one more to the myriads which - 
have become extinct. 
“It may not be logical, but to my imagination it 
is far more satisfactory, to look at the young cuckoo 
ejecting its foster-brothers, ants making slaves, the’ 
larvae of the Ichneumonidae feeding within the live © 
bodies of their prey, cats playing with mice, otters 
and cormorants with living fish, not as instincts — 
specially given by the Creator, but as very small. 
parts of one general law leading to the advance- 
ment of all organic bodies, — Multiply, vary; let the 
strongest live and the weakest die.”’ 
DR. GRINEWETZKY’S CROSSING OF 
NOVAIA ZEMLIA. 
On the = November, Dr. Grinewetzky described, 
before the Geographical society-of St. Petersburg, his 
travels on this island. He first started on foot on the 
= August, with Kriwoskeya and a Samoyede (a few 
of whom are.found near Karmakuly). The weather — 
was beautiful, the thermometer 5° C.; but soon after. 
reaching a mountain with a very extensive view, 
where they passed the night, they were overtaken by 
a violent snow-storm, and compelled to return. _In- 
April, 1883, the Samoyede Hametz crossed the island 
to the south-east coast, and found Samoyede chums 
(tents). Hearing of this, Grinewetzky, accompanied 
by Hametz and another Samoyede, set out in sleds 
drawn by dogs. They had scarcely any food for the - 
dogs, but were assured they would find plenty, as_ 
wild reindeer were abundant. This proved not to be 
the case; and on the fifth day the poor dogs were 
near starving, when a large herd of reindeer was 
met. Many shots were fired without effect, due to 
the difficulty of seeing distinctly, as the men’s eyes” 
were much affected by the reflected sunlight, and, 
in addition, their hands were benumbed by the cold 
(— 20° to —25°C.). Atlast two were killed, and the 
dogs saved. At first a number of very steep parallel 
ridges, principally of black slate, were encountered. - 
At some places, hard and exceedingly steep snow- 
drifts had to be avoided by ascending the surround- 
ing hills. Excepting these drifts, there was but little _ 
snow, as, if loose, it was swept away by the strong 
east-south-east wind prevailing. After the water- 
shed between the west and east coasts is passed, the 
country becomes a low plateau, and the snow softer 
and rather deep and regular. On the aa with 
the temperature at —27° C., they prepared toreturn, 
as they had already proceeded two days farther than 
was intended, and no chums were in sight; and, al- 
though one of the Samoyedes said the chums were 
only three miles distant, they began the return. _ 
This expedition is important as the first cross 
of Novaia Zemlia by civilized man. 1 
information collected by Tjagin (1878-79), Pak 
oe 
rm 
tak 
Mia 
