What is instinct? Some thoughts on telepathy and subconsciousness in animals
A Contributor to the Daily Mail, writing on " the puzzle of the racing pigeon," says: " Those who come to the conclusion that some innate knowledge of direction is the main factor simply use an expression calculated to hide ignorance. They remind one of the ostriches with its head in the sand." The contents of this book may perhaps suggest what that " innate knowledge " is, and whence derived. In writing of the creatures of the Animal World, I have, with few exceptions, described their habits and doings entirely from personal observations which cover many years of close study in the field.
As a sportsman and naturalist, I have had exceptional opportunities for observing nature under all sorts of conditions, and although I lay no claim to deep scientific learning, I have been so impressed with what I have seen that I am constrained, in the interests of science, to submit the following observations for what they are worth, in the hope that they may prove suggestive and that those possessing scientific knowledge may give their attention to the proposition set forth, and perhaps follow up my theory on more systematic Knes.
However, putting aside the scientific aspect of the case, I have every hope that these essays on Natural History, written in a popular form, win prove acceptable to all those who take an interest in the doings and wonderful achievements of creatures of the Animal Kingdom.
Some contents:
CHAPTER I - - - - I
Telepathy — Subconscious influences: humanity — Subconscious mind rules exclusively in the Animal World — Subconscious faculties inherited from primaeval ancestors — Water-divining — Dog's power of " scenting."
CHAPTER II
Convictions from the practical study of nature — What we understand by nature — Nature compared to a machine — Invisible links — Review of creatures in the Animal World — Nature's schemes for self-protection — Creatures devoid of self-consciousness— Infallibility of the subconscious mind where there is no question of reasoning powers: Lepidoptera — Metamorphosis of Cabbage-White— Epitome of life-history of White- Admiral.
CHAPTER III - 14
Puss-moth — Cocoon of puss-moth — Section of cocoon — Parthenogenesis — Cocoon of Emperor moth.
CHAPTER IV
Ichneumon-flies — Rhyssa persuasoria — Ichneumons, parasitic on larvae of other insects — Sirex gigas — ^Tremulous antennae: ichneumons — Ovipositor in action — Sirex larva — Antennae: specialized — ^Nature's intangible connections — Life-principle: centre of subconsciousness.
CHAPTER V - . - 26
Blending of the subconscious mind — Antssense of direction — Bees and wasps : sense of direction — Souls of animals — " Group-souls " — Zone of telepathy — Proces- sionary caterpillars: habits illustrative of mind- blending.
CHAPTER VI 32
Review of Processionary caterpillars — Actions of animals due to the infallible subconscious mind — Difference between reasoning and the subconscious mind — Subconscious mind, pure expression of All-Mind — Illustration: spider's Web^Community of processionary caterpillars: example of " Nature in her Divine purity " — Experiment by Fabre (French naturalist) — ^Meddhng with nature's arrangements — Silken thread: a guide to nest- — Bufi-Tip: larvae— Small Eggar moth: larvae — Colonizing of Melitasa aurinia — Ermine moth — Gregarious larvae of saw-flies: examples of mind blending.
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