56 DR. VIREY ON INSTINCT AND INTELLIGENCE. 



individual brings into action the admirable mechanism of the organs 

 with which it is endowed ; it associates these different acts ; led on 

 continually by the pleasure of following nature, it works spontaneously 

 and always well, without knowing it does well, and without trials or 

 repetition. We shall even see, that, by contradicting this instinctive 

 direction, the animal endeavours to attain its object by all the means 

 at its disposal, but without evincing that it acts from judgment. 



The difference indeed between instinct and reason is very marked. 

 Pure instinct works always without deliberation, but maturely driven 

 on by want or desire, by sentiments, passions, and every species of 

 interior excitement, involuntarily. It pursues but one route; it aspires 

 at what is useful and profitable in life, which it always recognises by 

 secret affinity. Among insects there is no apprenticeship, no improve- 

 ments, no variation in the practice, no superadded invention ; but all 

 is wisely disposed beforehand for an act which is necessary, perfect, 

 and natural. A child, or a dull peasant, who instructs himself and 

 studies by the aid of experience, though acting ill at first, afterwards 

 improves. The insect needs none of these imperfect essays; supreme 

 wisdom has rendered it unnecessary, even though it be produced in 

 solitude, often sequestered, or rather separated from its kindred. It 

 costs it neither meditation, nor reflection ; observe it at once on its 

 invariable course, conducted by an internal illumination superior to our 

 weak light of reason. If it never improves, never makes any new dis- 

 covery, like human reason, at least it knows no season of ignorance or 

 degeneration, like our species - } and if there are no ages of glory and 

 literary splendour among bees and ants, neither are there ages of dark- 

 ness, or of barbarity and obscurity. In fine, if the instinctive animal 

 invents nothing, neither does it copy from others ; all its actions are 

 original ; in no instance are they imitations ; the swallow learns not of 

 the mason to build its nest ; and although wasps and humble bees form 

 regular cells, they require neither rule nor compass ; a more sublime 

 geometrician directs them ; a more learned architect raises the edifice of 

 the termites and the ants. On beholding the astonishing fact, that 

 the ant acts according to the rules of reason and industry, (without 

 possessing the one or the other,) we might say that it is aware of the 

 consequence of its actions. 



" Haud ignare et non incauta futuri j 

 Atque inopi metuens formica senectae *." 



* iC The ant, fearing an old age of want, is neither unaware nor improvident with 

 respect to the future." 



