84 



ON THE MENTAL QUALITIES AND 



The utter fallacy of the phrenological doctrines, as ap- 

 plied to the explanation of the psychological acts of ani- 

 mals, is no less apparent than real. Phrenologists main- 

 tain, as is well known, that the same profound mechanical 

 genius which enabled Archimedes to destroy the Roman 

 fleet, and which prompted the ancient Egyptians to rear up 

 those massy edifices which will endure to the end of time, 

 is no less called into daily operation by the bee in the con- 

 struction of its little cell ; as if the impelling cause were 

 identical, and this tiny insect had studied the exact sciences, 

 and was guided in its building operations by pure reason ; 

 the only conclusion to be drawn if we admit of the phreno- 

 logical explanation. If we consider instinct as a natural 

 impulse to certain actions, common to all the individuals of 

 a species ; which is neither improved nor deteriorated by 

 experience, being perfect from the beginning ; and yet deny, 

 as phrenologists profess to do, that it is by this that the bird 

 builds its nest and the bee its cell, a reduciio ad absurdum 

 is furnished, as complete as could be wished. 



Let us now examine in detail a few of the phrenological 

 faculties, as existing in birds ; and I cannot do better than 

 devote the remainder of the present paper to this part of 

 our subject, bearing in mind, that there are generally two 

 sides to every question, and clearly so in the present, de- 

 spite of the ominous silence which phrenologists have 

 hitherto observed towards all that militates against them. 

 I shall commence with Philoprogenitiveness. 



With a few exceptions, all birds manifest more or less 

 attachment to their offspring ; and according to phrenology, 

 this is to be attributed to the degree in which the organ of 



