ON INSTINCT. 
427 
inspiration of the Deitj/, that is refuted by the simple fact, that 
it sometimes is found to be at fault; such as the laying of the 
eggs of the flesh-fly in the flowers of hirsutaf instead 
of in carrion, their proper nidus, and those of the common house¬ 
fly in snufF instead of dung. 
That it is identical with reason is a proposition equally untena¬ 
ble, as I have shewn in this lecture that it is exercised with the 
same facility and perfection by the young insect as the old one. 
Besides, no degree of reason could be adequate to the production 
of such complicated labours as we witness among bees: a man 
could not perform such operations in a year, even with the best 
natural mechanical genius, and a competent knowledge of geo¬ 
metry, as a bee does when only two days old. I have like¬ 
wise, I hope, sufficiently proved the fallacy of the opinions of 
Descartes, and others, who maintain that brutes are mere inani¬ 
mate machines,—absolutely destitute not only of reason, but of 
all thought and perception; and that their actions are the only 
consequences of the exquisite machinery of their bodies. They 
are manifestly sensitive beings, and possessing reasoning powers 
to a certain degree. They accommodate their operations to time 
and circumstance. They combine, they choose the favourable 
moment, they avail themselves of the occasion, and are capable 
of receiving instruction by experience. Many of these operations 
announce reflection: the bird repairs a shattered nest, instead 
of instinctively constructing a new one. The hen who has been 
robbed of her eggs, changes her place in order to lay the re¬ 
mainder with more security ; and the anecdote which I related in 
a previous lecture, respecting the cat and kittens belonging to 
Mr. Stevens, of this town, discovers both care, artifice, and in¬ 
stinctive maternal affection*. 
* A cat, belonging- to Mr. J. Stevens, of the Red Lion Inn, Truro, was 
conveyed from the hotel to the farm, belonging to the proprietor of the inn, 
about a mile or more, situated on the old Bodmin road, for the purpose of 
destroying’ some mice in a barley-mow. But poor puss had not much time 
to exercise her wonted abilities on the mice, for very soon she became the 
mother of seven fine sprawling- kittens. 
To her unspeakable grief, three of her young ones were consigned to a 
watery grave before they even had an opportunity of opening their eyes on 
this beautiful world. The authors of the melancholy catastrophe, going to 
the barn on the following day, found no traces either of the mother or her 
remaining young ones. They called, but all was silent; they searched, but 
Tabby was invisible. Here the matter rested for several days; when at 
length Puss made her appearance in the Red Lion-court in a very slender 
condition. Having satisfied her hunger, and loitered about the house during 
the day, late at night she took her leave, carrying with her all the provisions 
which she conveniently could in her mouth. For several days she repeated 
the sajne course of operations, regularly returning to the hotel in the morn¬ 
ing, and leaving it, not empty mouthed, at night. 
