The Dawn of Reason; or, Mental Traits in the Lower Animals

peration upon which is reared that complex psychical structure which is to be found in t

ubtedly present in some of the higher animals, such as the dog, monkey, horse, cat, etc., is not a factor in the psychical make-up of any of the lower animals (insects, c

of the five senses-touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing; we will see in a later chapter that

physical basis-the senses.[23] I have asserted, and, as I believe, I have demonstrated elsewhere, the interdependence and correlation of physiology and p

bjectively) with a peculiar tissue which is only to be found in animal organisms. This tissue is called n

d throughout the structure of animals. Experiment and observation teach that these gangl

for I have been able, on more than one occasion, to verify Professor Clark's observations in regard to the protozoan, Stentor polymorphus, which, as he asserts,[25] has a well-develope

s acted on by a stimulus, the impression wave is transmitted along the in-going nerve to the ganglion; he

ex action is, in the beginning, the germ from which spring

iscriminating between stimuli," as Romanes puts it, "irrespective of their relative mechanical intensities, that constitutes the physiological aspect of choic

ully demonstrated by Romanes, that I present his experiment and observation

air-bubbles. Yet, after a short time, it becomes so accustomed to this turmoil that it will expand its tentacles in search of food, just as it does when placed in calm water. If now one of the expanded tentacles is gently touched with a solid body, all the others close around that body, in just the same way as they would were the

is great or small. Now, when a stimulus is again applied to the nerve, the impression wave follows in the footsteps, as it were, of the first

the ganglion learns to associate one with the other, thus showing that it poss

y simple; yet, as organisms increase in complexity, these si

through sensual perceptions, and, since sensual perceptions are excited undoubtedly by co?rdinated stimuli, then, "there cannot be co?rdination of many stimuli without some ganglion through which they are all brought into relation. In the process of bringing these int

element of time enters into all psychical operations that are not distinctly reflex. Even in the reflexes there is a time element, but it is distinctly shorter than th

of the nerve-muscular systems concerned in these actions may be very considerable. Clearly, therefore, it is not mere complexity of ganglionic action that determines consciousness. What, then, is the difference between the mode of operation of the cerebral hemispheres and that of the lower gang

ous volition.[29] In the foregoing pages I have very briefly discussed this cultivation of the senses and the development of their motor reactions. I have likewise outlined the origin of volition from sensual

ate its entire cephalic extremity), surmounted by rows of vibratile cilia, its pulsating contractile vesicle, its ability to move from place to place by swimming, are all interes

Professor Clark of Harvard was the first observer to note and call attention

ery region of the body where there is the most activity, and therefore more likely than elsewhere to have this system most strongly developed. Immediately within the edge of the disk (bell) there runs all around a narrow faint band, which lies so close to the

0) I have been able to make out ganglionic enlargements both in the circular band and in the stripes. These ganglia are the brain of this infusor

heart) of one of these animalcules, I saw it evince what seemed

en alarmed or disturbed in any way), there was a bit of alga, from which ripened spores were being given off

until it touched the starch grains with its cilia. With these it swept a grain into its mouth, and then sank down in its tube. I thought, at first,

ognized to be food; it could not get at this food without making a ch

fessor Carter, an English biologist, which came to my notice a week or so thereafter. This investigator witnessed a similar act in an animalcule belonging, it is true, to another family, but which is almost, if not quite, as simple in its organi

d actinophryans for further examination, when I observed one of the spore-like cells had become ruptured, and that a portion of its protoplasm, charged with the triangular starch grains, was slightly protruding through the crevice. It then struck me that the actinophryans had obtained their starch grains from this source; and while looking at the ruptured cell, an actinophrys made its appearance, and creeping round the cell, at last arrived at the crevice, from which it extricated one of the grains of starch mentioned, and then crept of

as the young ciliated monadic germs issued forth one after another from the dehiscent spore-cell, the actinophrys remained by it and caught every one of t

self to me was the catching of a young acineta by an old sluggish

r acineta (A. mystacina?), around which an am?ba was creeping and lingering, as they do when they are in quest of food. But knowing the antipathy that the am?ba, like almost every other infusorian, has to the ten

ld venture to say, a priori, that a dull, heavy, sluggish am?ba could catch such an agile little thing? But the am?b? are as unerring and unrelaxing in their grasp as they are unrelenting in their cruel inceptions of the living and the dead, when they serve them for nutrition; and thus the am?ba, placing itself around the ovarian aperture of the acineta, received the young one, nurse-like, in its fatal lap, incepted it, descended from the parent, and cre

ed by hoods of gelatinous tissue; in the naked-eyed species the hoods are absent. The marginal bodies in both species are practically identical as far as general make-up is concerned, be

e aquarium to the other by manipulating the light in the proper manner. Even where a slight

to follow such excision, but as soon as the last of these bodies is

tip of the manubrium will turn toward, and endeavor to touch, the spot irritated. It does not turn at once, as

e of conscious determination in the medusa; in fact, there seems t

e ensconced itself until it was through with its meal. When we remember that this little creature was among entirely new surroundings (for I dipped it from a pond in a tablespoon full of water which I had poured into a saucer), we will appreciate the fact that the water-louse evinced conscious determination and no little memory. It probably

t a very great distance away, indeed. Beneath the stone coping of a brick wall surrounding the front of my lawn, and which, on the side toward my residence, is almost flush with the ground, many garden snails find a cool, moist, and congenial home. Last summer I took six of these snails, and, after marking them with a paint of zinc oxide and gum arabic, set them free on the lawn. In time, four of these marked snails returned to their home beneath the

is the possessor of a special sense which many of the higher animals have lost in the process of evolution. I refer to th

mell in the angle-worm; provisionally he denies it, however, the senses of

f glass, consequently, when one of its inmates happens to be next to the glass sides, which very frequently occurs, it is easy to experiment on it with pencils of strong light. If a ray of light is directed upon an angle-worm, it at once begins to show discomfort, and,

ese, I believe, are primitive eyes (ocelli). I think that the worm is enabled to tell the difference between light and darkness through the agency of t

pound the ground in a favorable neighborhood, the worms will come to the surface "to see what makes the noise." Darwin assumes that the worms feel the vibrations, which are disagreeabl

ncorporated in the integument will be found; these organs are supplied with special nerves which

ed above are removed, the worms so mutilated will not respond to the tapping, but will remain in their tunnel. The worms are not app

ouch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing, we would naturally expe

kinds of leaves are given to worms, they will carefully select the favorite food and will ignore the other, thus unmistakably evincing c

nd occasionally uncovered learn to keep their shells closed, and live much longer when taken out of the water. This is an act of intelligence d

t stretched its body to the right side, pulled, and failed to move the shell. It then stretched its foot to the left side, pulled with all of its strength, and released the shell. There were intervals of rest between these sever

he obstacle. Finally, she got down into the little gully between the two bricks, and pulled the pellet away from the opening of the nest without any further trouble. Three times I performed the experiment, the wasp going through like performances each time. At the fourth time, however, she went at once into the little space between the bricks, and then removed the wad of paper without difficulty. I stopped the hole five or six times after this, but she had learned a lesson; she always got into the sulcus between the bricks before attempting to remove the paper. She had discovered the fact that she could not

TNO

ary compound; and, on our methodically pursuing the inquiry, it is easily recognizable-just as a simple substance in organic chemistry may be always summoned to a

ntal Evolution i

ind in Nature

al Evolution in An

ciples of Psycholo

al Evolution in An

Physiology of

ind in Nature

d Series, 1863, pp. 45, 46; quoted also b

ormation of Ve

quoted also by Darwin, MS.; by Bingley, Animal Biography, V

anes, Animal Int