, 1873-03-16

faith, hocause 1t Is held 10 be nnsclenl1uc 10
accept as inoxp1icable that which furthor re-
I search may sometimes trace to natural cauBes.
The doctrine OF many sarans, therefore, has
been that what re call instinct is nothing but
the result of experience, acquired in SO short &
time as to mako it imperceptibe even to tho
closcst observation. Yet this has been go
far a nero assertion, unconfirmed By positive
demonstration, and accepted simply because it is
than the theory OF intuition would be. Mr.
Douglas A. Spalding has paper in the last num-
ber Of Mucn,inan's Magazine, based upon some
curious and interesting experiments which ho
experience as an explanation Of instinct holds,
for instance, that distances cannot be taken in by
the eye but can only be estimated by going over
tho ground until it becomes familiar and that
sound is but meaningless sensation at
first, the direction and character Of which can
only be determined through reitoretion and tests
10 test this theory, Mr.. Spalding resolved to
take the youngest OF animals, render them blind
and deof from birth, and watch their actions un-
assisted By their maternal preccptors.
Tho moat interesting Of tie experiments were
made with young chickens, artifcially Matched
Before escaping from their shells, tho little
creatures had their heads completely hooded, OF
their enra closed with wax, or both, rendering
them blind or deaf. or both blind and deaf Tho
hoods were kept on their heads for various
lengths Of timc, from few hours to three and
four days, and, when released, their nc
tions were noted with the mlnuteness
of court journal. They were usually set free
on table, with insects dead and alive dlstrab-
uted about them. At first they were surprised,
but often at tho end Of two minutes their eyes
would follow the movements Of the insects,
" turning their heads with the precision Of an
old fowl" They pecked away, after few
moments, at the smallest specs, which they never
missed by moro than hairs breadth. One OF
the little yictims,~ after being hooded for three
days, sat and chirped for six minutes, then fol-
lowed the movements Of fly at distance OF
twelve inches, made peck at it's OWL toes first,
and, the next instant, vigorous dart at the ny,
which it seized and swallowed at first stroke.
It was then placed on rough ground
not far from hen with a brood Of chickens OF
it's own age. It stood CHIPPING for about q min
ute, and then made its way straight to the
brood, requiring no guiding, avoiding the
stones, and leaping over the smaller obstacles
that 1ay in its path This Was the first time it
had over walked. Nine different chickens,
hatched in flannel bag, and kept there for two
days, were separately placed somo nino or ten
feet from box in which wero concealed q hen
and her chicks. Each one Of them, after
standing moment, set off straight for the box IN
answer to the hons calI,-a sound they had
never heard before. Even chicks rendered
absolutely deaf by wax in their ears, won't d.
rect1y to the mother as coon as tho wax waa
taken away. The instinct Of fear was tested
With young hawk. It was made to fy over
brood Of sclf-nade' chicks, which took refuge
in the grass and bushes in the t'sinkling Of an
eye. a young turkey, which had been adopted
while still in m uncrackcd shell, WAS sitting on
the table about tho twelfth day Of it's existence,
comfortably eating it's frugal meal from MIR.
Spalding's hand, when it heard tho shri11 chirp
Of the Young hawk confined in the c1oset. "Like
an arrow, the poor turkey shot to the other side
Of the room, and stood there motion1ess and
dumb with fear, until tho hawk gave second
err, when it darted out at the open door right to
the extreme end OF the passage, and there,
silent and crouched in a corner, remained for
ten minutes Several times during the course
Of that day it again heard these alarming
sounds, and in every instance with similar
manifestations of fear.'' 31r. Spalding has
obsorrcd young chicks dressing their wings
when but fow hours old. Scratching" which
might easily be matter Of imitation, is COM
menced by chicks few days old, which hare
never seen that operation performed. 4 pecn-
Iarity Of turkeys ia the manner in which they
catch flies, approaching them stenlthi1y, after
the fashion Of cat catching a mouse, and then
suddenly plunging at thcn- young turkey,
but day-and-a-half old, WIS found to employ
the same motl1s operdndi; and brood of young
turkeys Matched by hen did the same thing.
This could not have been the result of imitation,
Tor Iaera we're no QUICK LuIAey8 OIL Lu6 p4ACes
and chickens do not catch flies in that way. Tie
chickens hayo IN instinct Of following, which
they develop immediately, following hand
around q table, or following the man who has
cared for them. It is curious to note, however,
that these young animals seem to lose their early
instincts if they are kept blinded or deafened
too long.
Mr.. spalding notices Mr.. Herbert spencer'a
theory Of Inherited acquisition as possible OK
planation OF the mystery Of instinct. This
means that instinct is the result OF accumulated
experiences Of past generations, duly transmit
ted On hereditary principles. This, however, il
field Of speculation which neither increases
nor d;1ninishes the value of a1r. Spalding's ex-
periments.
Some little time ago, it was announced that
the Rev Dr. Newman, the pastor OF the Presl~
dents church in Washington and the Chaplain
~ Avn n,;+o1 Qta{aa Eapata r1rnpDaBd to take q