Comparison with 1859 |
|
for the mother-hen has almost lost by disuse the power of flight. |
|
Hence, we may conclude, that
domestic domestic 1859 1860 | under domestication 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
instincts have been
acquired acquired 1859 1860 1861 | acquired, 1866 1869 1872 |
and natural instincts have been
lost lost 1859 1860 1861 | lost, 1866 1869 1872 |
partly by habit, and partly by man selecting and
accumulating accumulating 1859 1860 1861 | accumulating, 1866 1869 1872 |
during successive generations, peculiar mental habits and actions, which at first appeared from what we must in our ignorance call an accident. In some cases compulsory habit alone has sufficed to produce such
inherited
mental changes; in other cases compulsory habit has done nothing, and all has been the result of selection, pursued both methodically and unconsciously;
but in most cases,
probably, habit and selection have
acted together.
↑Subtitle not present 1859 1860 1861 |
Special
Instincts.
1866 1869 1872 |
|
We shall, perhaps, best understand how instincts in a state of nature have become modified by selection, by considering a few cases. I will select only three, out of the several which I shall have to discuss in my future work,—
namely, the instinct which leads the cuckoo to lay her eggs in other birds'
nests; the slave-making instinct of certain ants; and the comb-making
power of the hive-bee:
these
two latter instincts have generally,
and most
justly,
been ranked by naturalists as the most wonderful of all known instincts. ↑Subtitle not present 1859 1860 1861 |
Instincts
of
the
Cuckoo
.—
1866 1869 1872 |
|
It is now commonly admitted
that the more immediate and final
cause of the
cuckoo's instinct cuckoo's instinct 1859 1861 |
cuckoos instinct 1860 |
most remarkable of the instincts of the cuckoo 1866 |
instinct of the cuckoo 1869 1872 |
is, that she lays her eggs, not daily, but at intervals of two or three days; so that, if she were to make her own nest and sit on her own eggs, those first laid would have to be left for some time unincubated, or there would be eggs and young birds of different ages in the same nest. If this were the case, the process of laying and hatching might
|
for the mother-hen has almost lost by disuse the power of flight. |
|
Hence, we may conclude, that
under domestication under domestication 1861 1866 1869 1872 | domestic 1859 1860 |
instincts have been
acquired, acquired, 1866 1869 1872 | acquired 1859 1860 1861 |
and natural instincts have been
lost, lost, 1866 1869 1872 | lost 1859 1860 1861 |
partly by habit, and partly by man selecting and
accumulating, accumulating, 1866 1869 1872 | accumulating 1859 1860 1861 |
during successive generations, peculiar mental habits and actions, which at first appeared from what we must in our ignorance call an accident. In some cases compulsory habit alone has sufficed to produce
such such 1859 1860 1861 1866 | such 1869 1872 |
inherited inherited 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | inhe- rited 1872 |
mental changes; in other cases compulsory habit has done nothing, and all has been the result of selection, pursued both methodically and
unconsciously; unconsciously; 1859 1860 1861 1866 | unconsciously: 1869 1872 |
but in most
cases, cases, 1859 1860 1861 1866 | cases 1869 1872 |
probably, habit and selection have probably, habit and selection have 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
habit and selection have probably 1869 |
habit and selection have 1872 |
acted together. acted together. 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | probably concurred. 1872 |
|
Special
Instincts.
Instincts.
1866 |
Instincts
. 1869 1872 |
|
We shall, perhaps, best understand how instincts in a state of nature have become modified by selection, by considering a few cases. I will select only
three, out of the several which I shall have to discuss in my future work,— three, out of the several which I shall have to discuss in my future work,— 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
three, out of those which I shall have to discuss in my future work,— 1869 |
three,— 1872 |
namely, the instinct which leads the cuckoo to lay her eggs in other
birds' birds' 1859 1861 1866 1872 | birds 1860 1869 |
nests; the slave-making instinct of certain ants; and the
comb-making comb-making 1859 1860 1861 1866 | cell-making 1869 1872 |
power of the
hive-bee: hive-bee: 1859 1861 1866 1869 | hive-bee; 1860 | hive-bee. 1872 |
these these 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | These 1872 |
two latter instincts have
generally, generally, 1859 1860 1861 1866 | generally 1869 1872 |
and
most most 1859 1860 1861 1866 | most 1869 1872 |
justly, justly, 1859 1860 1861 1866 | justly 1869 1872 |
been ranked by naturalists as the most wonderful of all known instincts. |
Instincts
Instincts
1866 1872 |
Instincts
1869 |
of
the
Cuckoo.
—
Cuckoo.
—
1866 |
Cuckoo
.
—
1869 |
Cuckoo
—
1872 |
|
It is
now commonly admitted now commonly admitted 1859 1860 1861 1866 |
supposed by some naturalists 1869 1872 |
that the more immediate
and final and final 1859 1860 1861 1866 | and final 1869 1872 |
cause of the
most remarkable of the instincts of the cuckoo most remarkable of the instincts of the cuckoo 1866 |
cuckoo's instinct 1859 1861 |
cuckoos instinct 1860 |
instinct of the cuckoo 1869 1872 |
is, that she lays her eggs, not daily, but at intervals of two or three days; so that, if she were to make her own nest and sit on her own eggs, those first laid would have to be left for some time unincubated, or there would be eggs and young birds of different ages in the same
nest. nest. 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 |
nest. If this were the case, the process of laying and hatching might be inconveniently long, more especially as she migrates at a very early period; and the first hatched young would probably have to be fed by the male alone. 1869 |
If this were the case, the process of laying and hatching might
|