The Origin of Species: A Variorum Text

CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII. I:I VIII. 2 INSTINCT. 3 Instincts comparable with habits, but different in their originInstincts graduated-Aphides and ants-Instincts variable-Domestic instincts, their origins-Natural instincts of the cuckoo, ostrich, and parasitic bees-Slave-making ants-Hive-bee, its cell-making instinct-Difficulties on the theory of the Natural Selection of instincts-Neuter or sterile insects-Summary. 3:C cell-making instincts-Changes of instinct and structure not necessarily simul taneous- Difficulties 3:e Difficulties of the theory 3:/ cuckoo, molothrus, ostrich 4 THE subject of instinct might have been worked into the previous chapters; but I have thought that it would be more convenient to treat the subject separately, especially as so wonderful an instinct as that of the hive-bee making its cells will probably have occurred to many readers, as a difficulty sufficient to overthrow my whole theory. 4:e INSTINCTS might /I thought/as an instinct so wonderful as that of the construction of the comb by the hive-bee will/overthrow the whole 4:1 MANY instincts are so wonderful that their development will probably appear to the reader a difficulty sufficient to overthrow my whole theory. ;') I must premise, that I have nothing to do with the origin of the primary mental powers, any more than I have with that of life itself. 5:/ I may here premise 6 We are concerned only with the diversities of instinct and of the other mental qualities of animals within the same class. 6:/ mental faculties in animals of the same 7 I will not attempt any definition of instinct. S It would be easy to show that several distinct mental actions are commonly embraced by this term; but everyone understands what is meant, when it is said that instinct impels the cuckoo to migrate and to lay her eggs in other birds' nests. 9 An action, which we ourselves should require experience to enable us to perform, when performed by an animal, more especially by a very young one, without any experience, and when 380 performed by many individuals in the same way, without their knowing for what purpose it is performed, is usually said to be ins tincti vee 9:f without experience 10 But I could show that none of these characters of instinct are universal. rot] characters are 11 A little dose, as Pierre Huber expresses it, of judgment or reason , often comes into play, even in animals very low in the scale of nature. I t :e animals low I rt] dose of judgment or reason, as Pierre Huber expresses it, often comes into play, even with animals 12 Frederick Cuvier and several of the older metaphysicians have compared instinct with habit. 13 This comparison gives, I think, a remarkably accurate notion of the frame of mind under which an instinctive action is performed , but not of its origin. 13:e think, an accurate/not necessarily of 14 How unconsciously many habitual actions are performed, indeed not rarely in direct opposition to our conscious will! yet they may be modified by the will or reason. 15 Habits easily become associated with other habits, and with certain periods of time and states of the body. I5."f other habits, with certain periods of time, and states 16 When once acquired, they often remain constant throughout life. 17 Several other points of resemblance between instincts and habits could be pointed out. 18 As in repeating a well-known song, so in instincts, one action follows another by a sort of rhythm; if a person be interrupted in a song, or in repeating anything by rote, he is generally forced to go back to recover the habitual train of thought: so P. Huber found it was with a caterpillar, which makes a very complicated hammock; for if he took a caterpillar which had completed its hammock up to, say, the sixth stage of construction , and put it into a hammock completed up only to the third stage, the caterpillar simply re-performed the fourth, fifth, and sixth stages of construction. 19 If, however, a caterpillar were taken out of a hammock made up, for instance, to the third stage, and were put into one finished up to the sixth stage, so that much of its work was already done for it, far from feeling the benefit of this, it was much embarrassed , and, in order to complete its hammock, seemed forced to start from the third stage, where it had left off...