The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-13
;sA
POPULAR SCIENCE.
FnIlIbiIlty ofInstinct.

irely obsolete, that instinct in animals
independent faculty, a direct gift OF "
Creative Mind. The wonderful art displayed
m insect architecture, and the unlnstrucCeo
skill with which it accomplishes ITS tasks, may
have suggested this beliefA or it may have
arjs~ from the general disposition to at
1enomena, not otherwise explained,
De-, acts of / Ilovidence
Il. wallace, in ihis excellent work on the
eyan Archipelago, notices a fact which
slo w-that instinct is not always in
for he found immense numbers of
TW boring-beetle buried in holes Of
maS>Sfh making They had, in their usual
. had L' perforated the bark of q tree which
/ whia.p pSeh Ielled by the natives the sap of
to Sn oiu hardened like gutta-percha on exposure
nate ;n nus Siulng up securely the unfortu-
= perfnsects' Their instinct directed them to
epos a', tne bark, probably to deposit their
w out II dld not detect the hidden danger.
< - lnarSs;-"H these trees have an odor
S'tr@ctlye to this species of insects. ne is pro-
oaole' 1t might lead to their extinction:
S~neIeas other, species, to which the odor is
USa8feeaole- would avoid the trees. and be
- I,J'"1eU WIN an lnsunctwhic was, after all,
81, - a Slui PIE sensation. He thinks it is
doubtful whether what we call instinct is any,
Vhlng more than hereditary habit. depende1t
on dehcote notifications of sensation
MS view IS sustained by some of orr most
eminent psychologists IT seems 70 he de-
demonstrated that instincGv. i,nnnIeo ie ,,ro.
ceded by conscious sensation e}v various
experiments ON vertebrate a.: .tls. il is shown
that the large ganglion or grey matter-the
tuoef-ahhuiafe-ls tn seat of this peculiar
CONSCIOUSNESS ana of the reflex action which
we term instinct hr instructive imn,Ilsa It's
operation is independent of the brsin II is
most complete liz those animals in ,vbicl, M
!, brain exists. l4the higher animals its func-
tions continue after the hemispb yes are
frozen or destroyed.
Instinct is, perhaps, unfailino within Ger.
tain limits. 10 builds six-sided cell and
+ makes in the back hole which is ,lerfecfIy
circular. In this there may be neither failure
!. nor Improvement; but in choice of material
for food, OF habltatlon, or conditions for de
veloplng thelr young, they may not select
we'll 1t is quite possible that species OF
animals die out, as suggested bv olr author
Not indeed, because they have in them an nm
failing guide, but because they have it not
but are guided by sensations which, however
q delicate, sometimes fail them when brouuh
into new and untried conditions
Il Biology.
~ Among the various departments into whicl
81 science is subdivided, biology is one which i
a explained to be the doctrine of forms an,
functions. Certain it is that nature acts b.
etermlnate laws IN reproducing the sam
rAe>es j. the animal and vegetable kingdom
through indefinite periods of duration. Hoy
it so happens that the brilliant colors in tn
plumage of the peacock, or the stripes on tn
zebra, or spots on the leopards skin are there
is quite beyond our ken. The fact is unde
niable that it is so, and there philosoph
leaves the slbiect Each one of the interna
organs has definite shape color weight
and specific function to perform Why a
:. that occurs, OF how each and every one G
them should sun1o, can no more readily b
elucidated % ined than external forms.
\ Physiology better understood tina
thoughtful speoulafI0SS, without affordin
very satisfactory Information on the laws
life. Both Of those studies have their value
because they carry a convincing evidence o
their frontlets that if we can not explain th
rationale of what is transpiring in vegetabl
or animal growth, or what makes the sap III
D the one or blood in the other, we can NJ
eny the existence of a Superior Power som
Fhere, which originated all vitalized Mecha
m and set it in motion. Forms and fun
Hlons, therefore, are the definite expression
4 of Almi shty agency.
ZOdiacaI Light.
n The stlking coincidence between the e
treme he Of the year 1868 and the almo
total absOn of zodiacal light, was very I
markable. This light, SO brilliant in 49,
that, even on the first days Of the new.khoo
1t twas quite perceptible, was hardly dist
pmshable last year from the stellar rays. Sin
the month of December last however, it b
rIeappeared with considerable degree of br
nancy, but without ever attaining the splend
beauty of 1867. The intermittent nature
TINS light has long been observed, but, unfc
.1nately, no regular note has been taken
.Ie time of decrease OF increase in brightne
winch might give an idea Of the period
rotation. 1t is evident that the greater OF lt
oegfee OF thickness of this solar envelope
one OF the principal causes of variations
annual annual temperature. Another observati
Ean. nS' mas frequently been made is, that zodiac
,Sni mS which often makes the round of t
eroae eroie visible heavens, always leaves spa
Exactly at the zenith.
Nr 49, Lunar Changes.
uS,,t, Mt, W. h. Brit, in letter to the ~
.., s,1Is. Y : SsG1ia1