The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1884-07-15
instinct

meant by instinct 1t has MANY detini-
tons. A fair one may be an unreason-
ing impulse to do certain actions. The
infant acts from this impulse 1t seeks
its food instinctively. Chickens. when
young, instinctively run away from the
hawk. They seem to know instinctively
that the hawk has n natural impulse to
do it harm. Instinct cpmpels bird to
build a nest without knowing in what
its usefulness consists
Instinct is force that nature has
placed in every animal, however large
or small. 1t is a living force that aids
in seeking and obtaining its means of
growth. Instinct is blind impulse
that controls every animal in many
ways. 1t acts. it knows not why. Ami
mails may reason to some extent, but
instinct supplies the place of reason.
Some years ago we observed a young
deer attempting to cure a sick and suf-
fcring kid. She began her medical
treatment by champooing her infants
belly. by her nose. She rubbed it up
and down its body and then crosswise,
until its bowels moved freely and the
kid was entirely relieved. This suffer
| ing kid was its mother's first child. She
| N'uiN hhOW HolIlH2 vi CuI ny ulSttSt
| from experience. Who told the young
mother what to do, how to relieve her
| suffering child; we say nature. or the
Creator. Animal mothers are usually
| ailectionatc but some seem to have no
germ OF love. The mother sheep hears
| the cry OF anxiety uttered by her wan
| dering lamb, and at once seeks and
| finds it offers it its proper food. How
| did she know, when she heard the cry,
| that it was her lamb who was uttcring
cries of hunger and distress? Instinct
taught her. We have often seen sheep
recognizing her infant in flock of
many hundred mother sheep. SO all
animals, with Il few exceptions, are
moved to act under the guidance of in
stnct nearly always in the same way
under the same conditions. Instinct is
uniform in its actions. Ii change
occurs it is for a special purpose. This
uniformity Of instinct gives uniformity
of action TO some species of animals in
all parts of the known world. and SO we
find that all the members of any species
of animals act alike under the same
conditions.
| Animals may be educated by habit
In the East, sheep may be made to
recognize the shepherds voice and
know at once when he calls Some
years ago missionary visited mission
AIRY settlements in the East, The keeper
, of IL flock told him that he would give
! him the names of several of the sheep
and told him he might call them. The
traveller repeated those names in Il strong
and full voice, hut the sheep did not
come to him. The shepherd then called
them and they came to him at once;
why is this, says the traveller "You
are Il stranger to them and my sheep do
not know the voice of strangers, but
they do the voice of their keeper. lie
calls them and they follow him"
We see instinct guiding the chickens
living high in air. The hawks voice is
hardly heard when the little chicks, Just
Matched, perhaps, HE quickly to their
mother and conceal themselves beneath
her wings. They had never seen II
hawk, nor heard its voice before In
stinct taught them. The CrcatXr taught
them to run at the first appcaiancc of
the murderer of other birds. Like
Cam, nature put mark upon him.
Those chickens were never taught by
any one but their Creator. He put "A
mark upon the hawk. SO that other birds
might know him and flee at once as
soon as they heard his voice.
Even little chickens knew him.
Nature. the Creator, inspired them
and taught them how to avoid him
The partridge of our woods affords an
Interesting illustration of what is meant
by instinct. The mother partridge has
Just come from her warm nest, leading
from their birthplace a brood of her in :.
fants. As she struts along As proud of
her young AS any mother can be, sha
suddenly hears a noise, perhaps of "A
dog, fastening on his way. She utter4
a warning note, and instantly her chill
dren conceal themselves beneath the
leaves. Instinct prompts her to cover
her nest when the leaves are abundant.
The very next moment she flies, or runs
to some distant spot, and makes a fuss
or noise so as to attract the attention of
| the dog and alhlre him from her trem-
, bling brood. She withdraws more and
more from the place in which they are
concealed and mounts upon tree and
; bids defiance to the dog and lets him
bark to his heart content. This bark
inc protects her dear ones because it
keeps them still. Ultimately she re-
tires, and in due time she calls her
Young to come to her, In this way they
all meet again and are q d to see each
other once more. Now who taught the
mother to make Il home, a nest where
the leaves are thick enough to protect
her young? Who taught them what
her note. meant? Who taught them TO
KEEP still and quiet. until she called
) them? We say instinct power the
Creator gave them when lie made them,
Why did the mother build soft, warm
b nest, place definite number OF her
= eggs within it? Why did she then
warm them with her body heat until it
changed the contents of her eggs to in
FAINT chickens? We say 'instinct," OF
the Creator did it all. He implanted in
their minds this saving knowledge. lie
inclined them to do just what they did.
| Sparrows are cheap birds and nearly
, valueless, and yet not one falls to the
ground without the Fathers and Crea-