Reason and Instinct. 



6439 



notice a possible prey on the other bank, or rather entering the water 

 from it ; the wily creature sinks itself below the surface on its own 

 side and swims under water swiftly across in the direction of its in- 

 tended victim, the ripple on the water sufficing to reveal to the 

 observant human eye, which was watching the evolutions of the brute, 

 the secret path that would have been unnoticed by its destined quarry. 

 This appears to me to be a most remarkable instance of intelligent 

 design, and a distinct advance on any which, so far, is recorded of a 

 fish. 



The fascinating power possessed by serpents — and certainly by man 

 and some other animals, at least in a degree — is a most remarkable 

 power. Unfortunately we know too little of its nature and mode of 

 operation, and of the means by which it is exercised, to render any 

 argument founded upon it a safe one. It is alleged to reside in the eye 

 of the snake employing it; and there is an unquestionable power 

 resident in certain human eyes, both over mankind and over the lower 

 animals. But whatever it be, and wherever situate, it seems to be per- 

 fectly volitional on the part of the reptile employing it. It is one 

 means, among others, by use of which it procures its prey, and I 

 believe nothing is more certain than that it does not make use of it, 

 if it be enabled to secure its prey by other means ; and if this be so it 

 appears to argue a species of adaptiveness in its appliance by its pos- 

 sessor which renders the circumstance equally interesting to us, 

 and for the same reason, with that anecdote of the alligator just 

 quoted. 



Our next advance places us among the Birds ; and in this class, 

 while w r e find a greatly advanced development of those parts of the 

 brain which are believed to be connected with the various instincts, we 

 find also, not perhaps a proportional, but still a very considerable, ad- 

 vance in the development of the cerebral hemispheres ; and their 

 connecting medium, the corpus callosum, begins now to have a rudi- 

 mentary existence. In other words, those parts of the brain, believed 

 with utter certainty to be connected with the higher functions of 

 Reason and Will, begin to have a distinctly developed existence. It 

 is hardly necessary to say the corresponding psychical advance, 

 including under that term both instinctive and rational peculiarities, is 

 certainly equally marked with that of the material organ through which 

 those powers are enabled to act. 



In point of fact, the presence and operation of Instinct is almost, or 

 fully, as strongly and variously manifested in the different orders and 

 families of birds as in any portion of the animal creation whatever; 



