CAJGHT
ÜJ-
VOL. 1.
R eason .
SILV EBTOK, OHEGGN, THÙRSDAY, MARCH 18, Î897.
For the Torch of Reason.
by an animal, more especi­
ally by a very young one, without
experience, and when performed bv|
inan\ individuals in the same wav,
without their knowing for what pur-
posj b b
's a id
NO. 20.
at three years obi with wonderfully their antennae; but not one excreted.
l i t t l e practice, bad played a tune
Afterward, I allowed an ant to visit
H o w a p t w e a r e to m e a .« i» - e a ll w e k n o w
with no practice at all, he might them, ami it ini mediately seemed, by
A n d a ll t h e w o r l d , b y o u r o w n n a r r o w
truly be said to bave done so in­ its eager way of running about to
• r u le s .
stinctively. But it would be a se­ he well aware what a rich flock tt
T h o s e w j i o a g r e . 1 w i t h u s a r e v e r y w is e ;
rious error to suppose that the had discovered; it then began to
T h o s e w h o d o n o t a r e l u n a t i c s , — o r fo o ls
, .
•
.
W e p i t y t h e m , if w e h a v e h u m a n
/
irWlnci,ve. But I could show greater number of instincts have
k in d n e s s
that none of these characters are been acquired b y habit in one gen­ play with its antenna? on the abdo­
B u t if i n c l i n e d t o h a r s h n e s s , w e d e s p i s e universal.
A little d o s e o f judg- eration, and then transmitted by men first of one aphis and then of
another; and each, as soon as it felt
F h e i r b i g o t r y ; f o r g e t t i n g in o u r b l i n d - ment or reason,as Pierre Huber ex-
inheiitanee to succeeding genera­ the antennae, immediately lifted up
W e m a y he j u s t a s w e a k in o t h e r s ’ e y e s. R r e " s '
B, often comes into plav, tions. It can be clearly shown that
even with animals low in the scale the most wonderful instincts with its abdomen and excreted a limped
A n d t h i s is s e l f i s h n e s s .
T o ig n o ra n c e o f n a t u r e .
drop of sweet juice, which was
which we are acquainted, namely, eagerly devoured by the ant. Even
w ed,
Broderick
(
tivier
and
several
of
T iie t w a i n h a v e r u l e d t h e w o r l d f o r c o u n t ­
those of the7bee-hive and of many the quite young aphides behaved in
the
older
metaphysicians
have
com­
le s s y e a r s .
ants, could not possibly have been this manner, showing that the ac­
C h a i n e d l i b e r t y , a n d , w h i l e h e r m a r t y r s pared instinct with habit.
This acquired bv habit.
tion was instinctive, and not the re­
b le d
comparison
think, mi
an <iu-
ac
1.
-- gives, > * I - 'umii,
It will be universally admitted sult of experience. It is certain,
S t e e p e d o u r f a i r e a r t h in m i s e r y a n d t e a r s , curate notion of the frame of mind
t h r “ U g" a "
U n'le r " h ic h
i n s t i n c t i v e a c t i . u , that instincts are as important as from the observations of Huber,
corporeal structures for the welfare that the aphides show no dislike to
T h is d is c o rd ja r s th e m u s ic of th e s o n g , I
Perlorn,ed, but not necessarily of of each species, under its present
F ro m c h u r c h to s ta t e , fro m g o v e r m e n ts l t s
origin. How unconsciously conditions of life. Under changed the ants; if (he latter lie not present
of n a tio n s
m any habitual actions are per- conditions of life, it is at least pos­ they are at last compelled to eject
T° stron
lite’ tJl'8 motive P°wer i8 formed, ind» ed not rarely in direct sible that slight modifications of in­ their excretion. But as the excre­
¡opposition to our conscious will! stinct might he profitable to a spe­ tion is extremely viscid, it is no
doubt a convenience to the aphides
H o w a r e w e l e f t in d a r k n e s s !
H e re to
t h e y nay he modified by the
cies;
and
if
it
can
be
shown
that
g ro p e
will or reason. Habits easily be­ instincts do vary ever so little, then to have it removed; therefore prob­
T h ro u g h to ils o m e
lif e , y e t r e a c h i n g
come associated with other habits, I can see no difficulty in natural se­ ably they do not excrete solely for
to w a rd th e lig h t
the good of the ants. Although
Saved f r o m d e s p a i r , b u t o n l y b y t h e with certain periods of time and lection preserving and continually there is no evidence that any ani­
states of the body. \\ lien once ac­ accumulating variations of instinct
hope
>
mal performs an action for the ex­
T h a t m o r n is d a w n i n g o n o u r t r o u b l e d quired, they often remain constant
to
any
extent
that
was
profitable.
n ig h t.
throughout life. Several other It is thus, as I believe, that all the clusive good of another species, yet
O h , fo r m o re l i g h t ! A ris e , f a ir L ib e r ty ,
points of resemblance between in­ most complex and wonderful in­ each tries to take advantage of (he
A n d w i t h t h e T o r c h o f R e a s o n le a d t h e
stincts and habits could be pointed stincts have originated. A s modi­ instincts of others, as each takes ad­
w ay
As in repeating a well known fications of corporeal structure arise vantage of the weaker bodily struct­
W h e r e w e m a y f in d t h e t r u t h ; a n d out.
fin d in g , be
song, so in instincts, one action fol­ from, and are increased by, use or ure of other species. So again cer­
Free, noble, h a p p y in i t s p e r f e c t d a y .
lows another by a sort of rhythm: habit, and are diminished or lost by tain instincts can riot he considered
if a person he interrupted in a song, disuse, so I do not doubt it h a s been as absolutely perfect; but as details
O h , fo r g r e a t s o u l s w i t h c h a r i t y a s
or in repeating anything by rote, with instincts. But I believe that on tins and other such points are
b ro ad
he is generally forced to go hack to the effects of habit are in many not indispensable, they maybe here
A s a ll t h e u n i v e r s e ; a lo v e f o r a ll
passed over.
H u m a n ity ; a se n se of o th e r s ’ rig h ts !
recover the habitual train of cases of subordinate importance to
S u ch m in d s a re n e v e r n a rr o w , c ra m p e d
As some degree of variation in in­
thought; so P. Huber found it was the effects of the natural selection
o r s m a ll.
stincts under a state of nature, and
With
a
caterpillar,
which
makes
a
of
wdiat
may
he
called
spontaneous
Divine Humanity, let thy sweet l>eauty '
" . /
the inheritance of such variations,
A b ash a ll p re ju d ic e , a n d fo rm s a n d c re e d s , i .
(,’njP ,f,,t< d h a m m o c k ; f o r if variations of instincts—that is of are indispensable for the action of
F o r a f te r a ll, o u r firs t a n d h i g h e s t d u t y
,e B x tk a c a t e r p i l l a r w h ic h h a d
variations produced by the same natural selection, as many instances
I s l o v in g , h e l p i n g o t h e r s in t h e i r n e e d s , c o m p l e t e d i t s h a m m o c k u p to , s a y .
unknown causes which produce as possible ought to lie given; but
A nnie T e r r s . ; the sixth stage of construction, and slight deviationsof bodily structure. want of space prevents me. I can
only assert that instincts certainly
Instinct.
into a hammock completed
Again, as in the case of corporeal do vary—for instance, t he migratory
-------
UP “nly to the third stage, the cat- structure, and conformably to my instinct, both in extent and direc­
Many instincts are so wonderful erpillar simply re-performed the
theory, the instinct of each species tion, ami in its total loss. So it is
that their development will prob- fourth, fifth and sixth stages of
is good for itself; but bas never, as with the nests of birds, which vary
appear to the reader a difficul- consfruelion. If, however, a ester- tar as we can judge, been produced partly in dependence on the situa­
l v sufficient to overthrow my whole pillar was l a k e , , out of a hammock for the exclusive good of others. tions chosen,and on the nature and
temperature of the country inhab­
t leery. 1 may here promise, that made up. for instance, to the third
One of the strongest instances of an ited, hut often from causes wholly
I have nothing to do with Iheori- stage, and were put into one fio-
animal apparently performing an unknown to us. Audubon has given
gin ot the mental powers, any more ished up t o the sixth stage, so that action for the sole good of another, several remarkable cases of differ­
ences in the nests of the same spe­
than I have with that of life itself, much of its work was already done
with which I am acquainted, is that cies in the northern and southern
" e are concerned only with the di- for it, far from deriving anv b e n e f i t
of aphides voluntarily yielding, as United States. Why, it has been
verstties of instinct and of the other from this, it was much embarrassed, was first observed by Huber, their -asked,
if instinct he variable, has it
mental faculties in animals of the and in order to complete its ham-
sweet excretion to ants: that they not granted to the bee “the ability
same class.
mock, seemed forced to start from do so voluntarily, the following facts i to use some other material when
w.ix was deficit ?” But what other
I will not attempt any definition the th ird stage, where it had left
show: I removed all the ants from natural material could bees use?
Instinct. It would be easy to off, and thus tried to complete the a group of about a dozen aphides
I hey will work, as I have seen, with
Show that several distinct mental already finished work.
on a dock-plant,and prevented their wax hardened with vermilion or
actions are commonly embraced by
If we suppose any habitual action attendance during several hours. softened with lard. Andrew Knight
kis term; but every one under to become inherited—and it
H can
I <111 he
I>r- After this interval, I felt sure that observed that his bees, instead of
<ands what is meant, when it is shown that this does sometimes the aphides would want to excrete. laboriously collecting propolis, used
a cement of wax and turpentine,
' ‘id that instinct impels the cuckoo happen—then the resemblance h e -
1 watched them for some time with which he had covered decorti­
1 migrate and to lay her eggs in tween what originally was a habit through a lens, but not one excreted ; cated trees. It has lately been
"Tier birds’ nests. An action, which and an instinct becomes ho close as 1 then tickled and stroked them shown that bees, instead of search­
"e ourselves require experience to not to be distinguished. If Mozart, with a hair in the same manner, as ing for pollen, will gladly use a very
different substance, namely, oat-
' nable us to perform, when per- instead of playing the piano-forte
well as I could, as the ants do with mea’-
—Darwin.
DAWN.