CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
111 
if not identical, with hypnotism as practiced by man. We do 
not undertake to say that it IS the identical power man em¬ 
ploys, for in such event it would affect man just as it does the 
lower forms of animal life upon which it is used. We would 
not put it beyond the rattler to so affect man under the proper 
circumstances. 
We have long been puzzled to know whether or not animals 
below man really possess minds, thinking and reasoning as 
men do, which might subject them to the same hypnotic influ¬ 
ence as man. We do not hesitate to attribute such power to 
them. We understand that men of science call this instinct; 
further, we understand that any inherited tendency to perform 
a specific action in a specific way when the appropriate situa¬ 
tion occurs, is designated by them as instinct. Now, if instinct 
is something inherited, then the first animals of any species had 
all the instincts that those of later generations possess. Fur¬ 
thermore,-if the conduct of animals is governed by instinct 
alone, and no sort of mental activity enters into their behavior, 
then it would seem that all animals of any one species would 
possess instinct exactly alike, and that their reactions would be 
the same under similar circumstances, though environment 
might vary ever so much. In other words, they would all be 
cast in the same mold, and there would be no such thing as 
personality among animals. Permit us to express the belief 
that instinct, as such, will simply not lend itself to develop¬ 
ment, but that each separate instinct was given to take care of 
a paricular situation, and ends there. 
Man is, above all, an imitative creature. He does not hesi¬ 
tate to imitate the lower animals whenever it serves his pur¬ 
pose. We do not believe that a Divine Creator would implant 
in man the element of magic and then condemn him, as is done 
in Holy Writ, for employing it. Our contention is that t;his 
magic of man is an acquired art, wholly foreign to his original 
make-up. If this be true, where did he get it? If the serpent 
had it, why not from him? We gather from the story of our 
First Parents that they were on friendly terms with the ser¬ 
pent. This statement is made reverently and without casting 
any insinuations at the Revealed Word and our ancient for¬ 
bears. 
