Liberal Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1872-1???, 1872-12-07

her call, became much more lively, be-
gan TO make little forward journies, and
soon followed her by sound alone,
though Of course blindly. Another ex-
pertinent consisted in rendering chick
eas deaf for time by sealing their
ears with several folds of gun paper
before they escaped from the she'll
These, on having their ears opened
when two or three days old and being
placed within call of the mother
concealed 10 a box on the other eide OF
door, after turning round few times
ran straight to the spot whence came
the first sound they had heard. Clear,
ly, Of these chickens it cannot be said
that sounds were to them at first but
meaningless sensations.
A very useful Instinct may be oh.
served in the early attention that
chickens pay to their toilet. AS soon
as they can hold ny their heads, when
onl, from four TO Ave hosrs cid, they
attempt dressing their wings, and that,
too, when they have been denied tae
use of their eyes. Another incontesta-
BILE case of instinct may be seen in the
art Of scraping in search of food.
Without any opportunities of imitation,
chickens begin to scrape FROM two to
six days old. most frequently the cir
cumstances are Suggestive at other
times, however, the first attempt, which
generally consists of . sort of nervous
dance, was made on smooth table.
The unacquired dexterity shown 10 the
capture Of insects is very remarkable.
4 duckling one day old, on being
placed in the open air for the FIRST
time, almost Immediately snapped at
aud caught fly on the wing. Still
more interesting is the instructive art
of catching flies peculiar to the turkey.
| observed Young turkey not day add
half old which / had adopted while
yet in the she'll, pointing its beak slow,
ly and deliberately at flies aud other
small insects without aetualy peeking
them. To doing this, its head could be
seen to shake like hand that is at.
tempted to be held steady by visible
effort. This ] recorded when | did
not understand It's meaning. For it
was not until afterwards that | observ-
ed that turkey, when il sees Ay set
tied on any object. steals on the unwary
iasoet with slow aud measured step,
and, when sufficiently near, advances
its head very slowly aud steadily un,il
within reach Of its prey, yhich is then
seized by sudden dart. In still fur
ther confirmation of the opinion, that
such wonderful examples of dexterity
and cunning are instructive and not
acquired, may be adduced the signif-
cant fact that the individual OF each
species have little capacity to learn any
thing not found ia the habits of their
progenitors A chicken was made,
from the first aud for several months,
the sole companion of young turkey.
Yet it never showed the slightest ten.
dency to adopt the admirable art of
catching flies that it saw practiced be-
fore its eyes every hour of the day.
The only theory, in explanation of
the phenomena of instinct, that has an
air OF science about it is the doctrine of
Inherited Association. Instinct in the
present generation OF animals is the
accumulated experience of past geuer-
ations. Great difficulty, however, is
felt by many 10 couceiving how any,
thing so impalpable as fear at the
sis ht OF bee should be transmitted |
from parents to offsring. 1t should be
remembered, however, that the perman>
ence OF such associations in the history |
Of an individual life depends on the |
corresponding impress given to the or
ganixation. We cannot, strickly speak
Ing, experience any ;ndividal act of
consciousness twice over but as, by
pulling the bell cord to-day we eau,
in the langaage of ordinary discourse,
produce the same sound VIC heard yes |
derday, SO, while the established con-
nections among the nerves and nerve
eeaters hold, We are enabled to live
ear experiences over again. Now,
Why should not those notifications of
brain aaatter, that, enduring from hour
to hour and from day to day, render
acquisition possible, be, like any other
physical peculiarity, Transmitted from
parent to offspring 2 That they are SO
transmitted is NIL but proved by the
facts OF instinct, while these, in their |
turn, receive their only rational expla-
nation in this theory Of Inherited Assoc
ciatiop