Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-12-03
~mluRArloN c. n,o0e
Contrary to CencraI Belief they 10 Make
Mistakes.

Contrary 10 General nenef. they DO Ntakc
Mistakes.
Baltimore sun Another arctic eNpedi
ton returned from the North 4 few
days aso. Its arrival was announced by
a loud 'Iiouk, Honk,' far up In the
sky. IL was composed Of eleven mem.
beers and was headed by a gray veteran,
who led his forces, arranged In the form
Of "a letter Y, without the slightest
deviation, due South. 1t was the Wild.
Goose Expedition which, having sum
mcred In the arctic, had decided 20 win
ter in more temprate chimes. 1t is not
to be supposed that they reasoned the
question OF "a change of location among
themselves, consulted almauacS anu
time tables OF even compasscs TO reach
their decision or 20 decide ON their
course TlRir action was influenced
not 10y what psychologists know as high
en- terebradon As the country folks
say, they felt 1t in their bones that it
was time TO move southwark, and South
they went under the wonderful influence
OF what is called instinct
no the older philosophers, instinct
was a tar' more wonderful thing than
il appears now, They asserted that all
The actions OF the lower animals were
performed through instinct and explain
cd that they possessed This faculty in
lieu OF intelligence. which was the
peculiar attribute OF man, This was,
however. soon exploded by the demon,
strati0u Of the possession OF intelligence
among animals and Of instinct of mlu.
Indeed, the later philosophers have come
to believe that almost all the actions
OF man are influenced, if not controlled,
10y instinct alone. Instinct has been eN-
planned MS hereditary intelligence; that il
to say. the repeated actions of the IN
eestors are more readily accomplished
by the child without regard 10 the viii
or special adaptation The tendency
to migration az certain species OF AM,
mails is plainly rpferrable to this hercdi
ary influence. Originally, no doubt,
migration occurred because food was more
easily found in one locality than IA an.
other The hereditary memory, SO TO
speak. pointed ont the place where
more food was 20 be obtained with less
eXertion Gradually other surroundings
suggested themselves as agreeable 10
the embryo mind, and these, repeated
through many generations, created that
mthinkiug tendency toward a particular
place on a particular climate, regardless
Of is original fitness. Almost all our
IDEAS are gained from association, and
IL Is fair 20 imagine that the constant
and repeated association of q particular
locality with "a |pleaSurable sensation
the satiatiou Of hunger, for example
would soon identify the sensation with
the place. Then would be evolved the
sentiment OF huuv, il sentiment which
we feel only NOR" kconly than the low.
or animals because it is associated, not
only with the place whore there is some.
thing TO eat, but because of other pleas.
ureahle sensations equally associated
with H. us they are constantly found IN
the same locality.
IL Is mistake 10 regard the migratory
instincts of animals as uncrriug. Every
wuodsmau has observed how a part.
culor species OF bird win apparently dc
sort q certain locality for another 70.
ono 0r more srasuns. Occasionally thi,
may result from choice but &C. seem,
altogether more probable that # is from
some mistake ou thp part Of The bird.
themselves Their generally accurat.
%eouI-e has been dclected 10y some chr
euustIuce aud they have made thoiI
homes elsewhere. i'm the case 81 strag
glnrs, this is particularly marked They
rarely succeed iu rcjoinlng The mah
body Do which they originally belonged
and are forssi t0 Doe content with what
ever suitable pace may bc fouuu MIG
rat0ry animals and birds are almost
always grcgari0us. That u.s., they live
and especially they travel In compac.
tioclls or herds. They do this for on
reason only. HAT the wisdom Of q mum
her Is Ereatcq Chan that % my one. ANS
error IN the route would be detected
by oHc or another and thence COmmuni
Gated to The whole flock. Once iu q
while they are gll mistaken, and iher
some incoming steamer serves as q
point 0f rest for the tired little wings
or some hitherto unknown country be
comes the new home Of IA" wandering
home-Sapkcrs. But there Is much thai
Is very wonderful and awe-iuspiriug ii
the instinct that guides them. If,indeed.
IL Is merely the reflex Of the memory
Of the departed ancestors-if the
thoughts as wen AZ the sins Of the
father descend 4 remote generations
what tendencies and %inclinntions are we
transmitting 10 our children which may
Ia later generations devclopc to good
or eyill are vs., steering "a straight
course, like the ola gray goOse2