Origin of Species Variorum

Comparison with 1869

CHAPTER VII.

INSTINCT.

Instincts comparable with habits, but different in their origin— Instincts graduated— Aphides and ants— Instincts variable— Domestic instincts, their origin— Natural instincts of the cuckoo, ostrich, and parasitic bees— Slave-making ants— Hive-bee, its cell-making instinct— Changes of instinct and structure not necessarily simultaneous— Difficulties of the theory of the Natural Selection of instincts— Neuter or sterile insects— Summary.

INSTINCTS might have been worked into the previous chapters; but I thought that it would be more convenient to treat the subject separately, especially as an instinct so wonderful as that of the construction of the comb by the hive-bee will probably have occurred to many readers, as a difficulty sufficient to overthrow the whole theory. I must premise, that I have nothing to do with the origin of the primary mental powers, any more than I have with that of life itself. We are concerned only with the diversities of instinct and of the other mental qualities of animals within the same class.

I will not attempt any definition of instinct. It would be easy to show that several distinct mental actions are commonly embraced by this term; but every one understands what is meant, when it is said that instinct impels the cuckoo to migrate and to lay her eggs in other birds' nests. An action, which we ourselves should require experience to enable us to perform, when performed by an animal, more especially by a very young one, without any experience, and when performed by many individuals in the same way, without their knowing for what purpose it is performed, is usually said to be instinctive.

CHAPTER VII.

INSTINCT.

Instincts comparable with habits, but different in their origin— Instincts graduated— Aphides and ants— Instincts variable— Domestic instincts, their origin— Natural instincts of the cuckoo, ostrich, and parasitic bees— Slave-making ants— Hive-bee, its cell-making instinct— Difficulties on the theory of the Natural Selection of instincts— Neuter or sterile insects— Summary.

THE subject of instinct might have been worked into the previous chapters; but I have thought that it would be more convenient to treat the subject separately, especially as so wonderful an instinct as that of the hive-bee making its cells will probably have occurred to many readers, as a difficulty sufficient to overthrow my whole theory. I must premise, that I have nothing to do with the origin of the primary mental powers, any more than I have with that of life itself. We are concerned only with the diversities of instinct and of the other mental qualities of animals within the same class.