election naturelle. Malheureusement,
au lieu de poursuivre l'idee, Lamarck aussitot s'engage dans une autre
voie_," etc. (_La Philosophie zoologique avant Darwin_, p. 81).

[183] The expression "_sentiment interieur_" may be nearly equivalent to
the "organic sense" of modern psychologists, but more probably
corresponds to our word consciousness.

[184] Lamarck's division of _Animaux sensibles_ comprises the insects,
arachnids, crustacea, annelids, cirrhipedes, and molluscs.

[185] Rather a strange view to take, as the brain of insects is now
known to be nearly as complex as that of mammals.

[186] Richerand, _Physiologie_. vol ii. p. 151.

[187] "As all animals do not have the power of performing voluntary
acts, so in like manner _instinct_ is not common to all animals: for
those lacking the nervous system also want the organic sense, and can
perform no instinctive acts.

"These imperfect animals are entirely passive, they do nothing of
themselves, they have no wants, and nature as regards them treats them
as she does plants. But as they are irritable in their parts, the means
which nature employs to maintain their existence enables them to execute
movements which we call actions."

It thus appears that Lamarck practically regards the lowest animals as
automata, but we must remember that the line he draws between animals
with and without a nervous system is an artificial one, as some of the
forms which he supposed to be destitute of a nervous system are now
known to possess one.

[188] It should be noticed that Lamarck does not absolutely state that
there are no variations whatever in instinct. His words are much less
positive: "_Sans offrer de variation notable._" This dues not exclude
the fact, discovered since his time, that instincts are more or less
variable, thus affording grounds for Darwin's theory of the origin of
new kinds of instincts from the "accidental variation of instincts."
Professor James' otherwise excellent version of Lamarck's view is
inexact and misleading when he makes Lamarck say that instincts are
"perpetuated _without variation_ from one generation to another, so long
as the outward conditions of existence remain the same" (_The Principles
of Psychology_, vol. ii., p. 678, 1890). He leaves out the word notable.
The italics are ours. Farther on (p. 337), it will be seen that Lamarck
acknowledges that in birds and mammals instinct is variable.

[189] It is interesting to compare with th