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these feelings, and desires, and appetites, are not occasioned by impressions communicated from the sentient extremities of the spinal nerves, were such even distinct from the spinal marrow, either by means of this supposed nervous fluid, or vibratory motion, or by any other means whatever; for the substantial reason, that it is not the spinal marrow, nor yet the brain, as we have already demonstrated, that is the seat of sensation,

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instance, or which, in other words, is just a wish for the gratification of some inclination, for the indulgence of some pleasure, is often as strongly excited by impressions on the one set of nerves as on the other. Thus, when an object of exquisite beauty appears to the view of our bodily vision, we behold it with the mingled feeling of wonder and delight. It excites in us an indescribable pleasure which we wish to indulge. Though we may gaze upon it a thousand and a thou--but the extreme filaments of the sand times, still the desire to take nerves, situated in the different organs another and another look, is as eager of sense. We have seen that the five as ever; "for the eye is not satisfied external senses of animals, as we shall with seeing." And the same is appli- call them, are excited by impressions cable to our sense of hearing. Pour of objects not interior, but exterior, to into that fascinating organ the strains the various organs of these senses. of melody! strike the harp and the We have also seen a seven-fold phelyre! In proportion as you raise your nomenon of the animal faculties, pronotes, in like proportion do you kindle duced in living animals by means of the fire within. As you proceed, you these external senses.-But we fan it into a flame, which time will now speaking of what may be called not extinguish; "for neither is the the internal senses. Let it then be ear satisfied with hearing." It will remembered, that the terms external be all obedience to your masterly and internal are merely relative; for hand. It will hear as for eternity." that may be external to this, yet this, It will cast the body into that attitude though internal to that, may be external which will occasion least fatigue to to another thing.-Apply, therefore, the unwearied and endless indulgence this idea of relative situation to exof the delightful passion; and when plain the doctrine in hand. We conat length it draws to a close, it will ceive that the whole may be explained regret that the scene is so soon by the action of the various secretions on the secretory organs, or ducts of these organs, or receptacles of the secreted fluids. Now, as these organs, and ducts, &c. are internal compared with other parts of the body, the feelings excited in them by the accumulation of their contents, which now operate upon them as external and extraneous bodies in relation to them, will be internal also, considering the system as a whole; and will produce internal sensations in these organs, sensations of various kinds, to which we give the appellations of appetites, desires, passions, and so on; varying according to the nature of the secretion, and one kind of sensation predominating over another, in proportion as the exciting cause operates on one secretory organ rather than on another.

over.

Thus, may desire, and that of the most ardent kind, be excited by the impressions of external objects on the nerves of the cerebrum. Instead, therefore, of desires, internal feelings, and the like, being the characteristic mark of impressions on the spinal nerves ; we ought to consider such sensations as applicable to both kinds in general; for when anatomically examined, they are found so to combine together into various plexuses, that, excepting a few arising from the brain, and distributed about the head and superior extremities, the one set cannot be traced as affecting certain organs more than the other.

Having traced the subject thus far, it remains still to be explained, how these internal feelings, desires, and appetites, &c. are produced. From what we have said above, I mean in our last paper, respecting the doctrine of cerebral impressions, by means of a nervous fluid, and the like, it may naturally be supposed that our opinion here will be the same; namely, that

Of the Instincts.

Having thus accounted for the production of these internal feelings, desires, and appetites, we go on to take notice of the instincts of animals; as it seems to be from these various inter

nal sensations, that animal instinct | originates. But what is instinct? Is it feeling? Or is it action? It is neither the one nor the other. It is neither feeling simply, nor action simply. But it is feeling producing action ;leading irresistibly to the obedience of certain laws in the animal economy, without obedience to which, it could not exist.

Instinct being thus a child of sensation, we may conclude à priori, that all animated nature capable of feeling, will be subjects of instinct; and that instinct is something all have in common, which, through the medium of sensation, operates by some general but irresistible laws; since, without obeying their dictates, the animal creation could not subsist.

The first instinct of a creature newly introduced into this world from the belly of its mother, or incubated egg, is the instinct for food; for the infant will suck the moment it is born, and the chick newly hatched will pick up the shell out of which it has escaped. Hence the first sensation or feeling it experiences, though it be unable to express it, is the sensation of appetite or hunger. And, is it not admirable to behold, how the animal instinct founded on this feeling, so wonderfully connects itself with the primary law of its nature, which is SELF-PRESERVATION?

Self-Preservation, I say, is the first Law of Nature; and the first instinct which leads to the observance of this law, is the desire for food, fear of danger, painful sensations, &c.

stimulus excited in the newly evolved organs, will the pursuit be ardent or cool after a change of its situation in life. Should it be excited by the first or ardent propensity, its ideas will be wholly absorbed with anticipated enjoyments; and now it will direct its actions in quite another train from that to which it had been accustomed; namely, to the obtaining for itself a partner, a help-mate for it. As for the foolish animal, man, the greater proportion of his youthful days are passed in a round of the delusive reveries of such expected enjoyments. Nor at any time will the young and inexperienced, who follow up the train in after ages, listen to the lessons of such as have acquired wisdom by their former folly; but giving vent to the baneful fire of their animal passions, they will form a train of the most extravagant projects; supposing real dignity to consist in acting the part of the hero of a romance, and in dazzling the object of the affections, falsely so called, with the gaudy and unnatural trappings of extravagance, folly, and madness.

The second Law of Nature, we thus perceive, is the Propagation of the Species; and the second instinct which leads to the observance of this law, is the evolution of certain organs, and the excitement of certain stimuli in these organs, when the animal has arrived at maturity, by which the sexes are attracted towards each other by a reciprocal affection.

The mutual consent of the parties being obtained, animal instinct now proceeds to operate in a variety of ways. In numberless instances, animals assort themselves in pairs, become mutual companions to each other, cheerfully assisting and help

Tracing the various actions of the animal, from the period of its birth till it arrives at maturity, there appears no stage in this period of its existence particularly remarkable for any phenomena, except those of self-ing one another in all their little conpreservation, which is the chief; and abundance of frolic and enjoyment, both in man and other animals. But now, by the evolution of certain organs, which lay concealed and dormant in the body before, certain stimuli are excited, which give rise to the development of another instinct; and this second instinct is connected with a second great Law of Nature, which is the PROPAGATION OF THE SPECIES.

Upon this, a new revolution of ideas takes place in the animal mind; and in proportion to the degree of

cerns, and mutually preparing for themselves a habitation. And thus the various tribes go on in the most delightful harmony, till such time as it pleases a kind Providence, by a bounteous hand, to crown their innocent labours, by adding an increase to their family. Here they arrive at the very summit of mere animal enjoyment; but it is enjoyment connected with care, which gives rise to a third train of animal instinct, namely, that of regard for their young. And this third instinct is connected with the third and last great Law of their Na

ture, which is the PRESERVATION OF THE OFFSPRING.

We have termed this third, the last Law of Nature, in regard to the life of animals; for in fact, we see it in Nature carried no further; there being no provision here for the sick, the aged, or the infirm; mere nature affording no beneficial associations of the kind,—no asylum by which the benevolence of the many might minister to the necessities of the few; but each having been trained under the auspices of its own parents till it could shift for itself, is sent into the wide world, friendless and alone, to be ever afterwards its own conductor, and the sole supporter, by means of the first law of its nature, of its own existence.

Now, that the conduct of the brute creation, as matter of course, should be conformed to this law, not to be wondered at; but that man should in this resemble the brute, notwithstanding he is endowed with a moral principle, in addition to these laws of his mere animal nature; a principle the very essence of which is love, not that self-love which belongs to the first law of his animal nature, but the love of others; and which, according to the great moral Law which should regulate the mind, as the other does the body, is to be cherished and exercised frequently at the expense of mere self-love; that he should lose sight of this principle, a principle which of itself stamps the highest dignity on his nature; that he should become darkened to such an obvious truth, as that of moral feeling naturally leading him to devise means to promote the good of others,-to care for the sick, -to supply the wants of the poor,-to attend to the aged and infirm; that he should abandon his own flesh and blood, at the period they most require his assistance; that he should leave the wretched to perish in their wretchedness,-expose the necessitous to starve, and turn the venerable and the aged, to whom he owed his very existence, out of doors,-banishing them to distant islands, as has been often done in heathen countries, this, I say, is matter of astonishment! A moral phenomenon this, for which nothing but the most dire depravity of the human heart can account. Here we perceive, too, how moral evil operates. It extirpates every

vestige, so to speak, of moral good; it seems to leave nothing, nothing of the good principle of morality remaining; but contaminates the whole with the opposite principle of moral evil, and degrades the man beneath the brute.

Man, viewed as a mere animal, placed under the direction of the three great Laws of Nature, as above described, is far from being as faithful to the dictates of these laws as the brutes.

Now what can be the cause of such disparity of obedience in creatures placed under the same laws, particularly on the side of the most enlightened of the two; on the side of man, who is wiser than the beasts of the field; of man, who, exalted as he is in the scale of being, and constituted lord of the lower creation, naturally, on his part, expects obedience from the creatures; why is he himself more deficient in conformity to those very laws he would enforce upon others, than any other part of the creation besides? The infection of his mind with moral evil, is the only answer to this question.

But, not only are the innumerable deficiencies to Nature's Laws to be accounted for; but the great and sweeping characters of the most dreadful perversion of these primary Laws of his Nature, as may be seen in the whole history of man, a summary of which we have in the first chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans; laws too, connected with correspondent instincts, the very object of which is to secure obedience to them; how comes it to pass that they are so shockingly perverted by the animal man?

If man were merely an animal, such phenomena could not be accounted for; as there is nothing similar to be met with in the rest of the creation. But man is more than mere animal. He is endowed with rational faculties of mind, as well as animal instincts of body. He is a creature subjected to the direction of a moral principle of spirit, as well as a living principle of matter; which, first, none of the brutes possess, even the most sagacious; but which, he possessing, hath perverted, by the voluntary disobedience of his Creator's will; and hence, ever since the first transgression, which gave a kick to the balance of moral and animal equilibrium,—raising the former to the very pinnacle of

moral perversion, which consists in pride, haughtiness, self-sufficiency, and assumptions of divinity itself;-and sinking the latter, till it forms its very antipode of degradation; and thus continuing to remain ever since, as if death struck at that fatal moment,bearing its impetuous sway over the now enslaved and degraded partner of its frame; this, this deplorable state of the matter, but too evidently accounts for all the moral turpitude in

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the human character, of which we can either see or hear.

Having thus treated of the three great instincts of the animal economy, and of the three great corresponding laws, and also of the threefold gradation of depravity in man; connecting natural things with moral, we are now presented with the following threefold scale. The first, of Nature's Laws; the second, of Nature's Instincts; the third, of Nature's Perversions. 1. Nature's Laws, which are, 2

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Self-Preservation, Propagation of the Species, Preservation of the Offspring. 2. Nature's Instincts, which are,

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Hunger or desire for food,

fear of danger, &c.

2

Natural love between

the Sexes.

3 Parental care or

Affection.

3. Nature's Perversions, or Human Degradation.

1. First, To a level with the brute, in the repression of moral feeling, and not attending to the cases of the destitute and the needy.

2. Second, To a step beneath the brute, in not obeying Nature's Laws in the manner which brutes even do.

3. Third, To a degree which is anomalous and without a parallel, in the perversion of Nature's Laws, by which the human species would create new sources of happiness to themselves; but every attempt of which kind, is always attended with directly opposite effects,-Nature's Laws, as well as Nature's God, being unchangeable.

There should follow in this place, a physiological analysis and explanation of some of the foregoing particulars; as also the Scale of Intelligence, Divine, Angelic, and Human; but as the discussions of these would occupy too much room in this brief abstract, we shall dispense with them at present, and in our next paper enter upon the illustration of the last of these, namely, the Human Intellectual faculties.

(To be continued.)

OF THE MIGRATORY BIRDS OF THE
WEST OF ENGLAND.

FROM the first moment that the attention of men was directed to the study of nature, the migration of certain species of birds must have attracted particular notice, and the subject has not lost its interest to the present day; for though sufficient motives for the change of place are apparent in some instances, in others both these and the circumstances of the change itself are very obscure:-thereby evidencing the justice of that remark, which was made long since, that while the inattentive and superficial can discover something of the wisdom of God, the wisest fall very short of perceiving the whole. Science is the knowledge of the works of God, and of God as the author of them. These works can only be known by personal examination; and as the best naturalists are able to make but a partial examina

tion, the researches of many are necessary to the improvements of science. This will explain the intention of the following paper. It is not to give a complete account of all that has been written on the migration of birds, but to furnish materials towards their history, by the detail of observations made in a particular district:not despising the observations of others, but using these for the purpose of confirming or disproving them. If persons, residing in different parts of the united kingdom, or of the world, would follow this plan, as applied to all the divisions of the kingdoms of nature, I believe many facts would be elicited, hitherto unknown, and science be proportionally benefited.

For the attainment of the object in view, it appears best to arrange migratory birds into classes, according to the seasons of their migrations; which will present them to the mind with circumstances the least confused.

There are some whose visits are irregular; and others which come only at very distant periods; these will form a distinct class.

Birds which make their Annual Visits in the West of England during the Summer Months-Cuckoo, Cuculus Canorus; Wryneck, Yunx Torquilla; White-throat, Motacilla Sylvia; Wheat-ear, Motacilla Enanthe; Willow Wren; Motacilla Arundinacea;¦ Reed Wren, Motacilla Salicaria; Swallow, Hirundo Rustica; Martin, Hirundo Urbica ; Swift, Hirundo Apus; Goatsucker, Caprimulgus Europæus; Turtle Dove, Columba Turtur; Quail, Tetrao Coturnix; Rail, Rallus Crex; Spotted Rail, Rallus Porzana; Foolish Guillemot, Colymbus Troile; Puffin, Alea Arctica.

The general habits of the Cuckoo are well known. This bird reaches Cornwall towards the end of April. I do not recollect having heard its note before the 21st of that month. It is first heard at that part of the land which ships usually make when they approach from the channel; about two or three miles from the sea coast, and at a good height, which seems to imply that they fly at a considerable elevation. Before they depart they congregate in companies of from five to ten in solitary places; where they are employed in pursuing and chattering at each other; a circumstance which has given rise to the idea that before their migration they alter their

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The Swallow tribe appear about the same time. The earliest Swallow I have ever known, was seen on the 10th of April, 1808; the latest first arrival was on the second of May, both in 1812 and 1815. Martins come a little later. The first I have known was on the 20th of April, 1816; the latest, May 3d, 1817; but in 1819, I have reason to believe that Martins reached this country before the Swallow; and perhaps this circumstance may not be uncommon. Swifts make their appearance later than the others; but I have seen a pair so early as the 2d of May, 1820, the same day on which Martins first arrived in that

year; the latest first arrival was on the 21st of the same month, 1816. The Sand Martin, Hirundo Riparia; I have never met with. Birds of this genus reach the land near the shore, and in misty weather seem to have a difficulty in making it, for I have been assured by intelligent fishermen, that when the weather is hazy, Swallows, Martins, Swifts, Wheat-ears, and a bird which they denominate a Miller's Thumb, and which is, I believe, the Reed Wren, will alight on their boats when three or four leagues from land, either singly or in small flocks; and they appear so much fatigued, that even the strong-winged Swallow is sometimes able only to fly from one end of the boat to another, when they attempt to seize it. Wheat-ears are often so worn out as to drop dead in the boat, without being able to proceed further. The Swallow tribe come in small parties, and soon pass on to their accustomed haunts; so that after two or three have been seen, it may be perhaps a fortnight before others make their appearance.

The

The extraordinary confidence which these birds repose in man, in placing their nests in the midst of his dwellings, whilst most other birds seek the most secret places, is worthy of notice; and serves to explain a circumstance, which is singular in the feathered race; I allude to the fact of their singing when in their nests; which can only take place where there is no desire of concealment. tribe that is found in Britain, disapSwift, the strongest winged of this pears the first. It usually departs before the 10th of August, while the temperature of the air is above what it was at the time of its arrival, and when its food has suffered no diminution. And in warm summers it is not found to remain so late even as this; usually departing, in such seasons, about the first or second of the month. The same remark applies to the Swallow and Martin, and perhaps to all our summer birds; they appear to go off earliest in the warmest years. This seems to be a very mysterious circumstance; but I think it may be explained without difficulty, by a reference to the constitution of the birds alluded to. It is well known that a certain temperature is necessary for hatching the eggs of birds; and that if this be exceeded, the death of the young ones

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