312 THE ACTION OF NATURAL 



day or two, and the herd is then pursued by a beast of 

 prey, our poor invalid inevitably falls a victim. So, in 

 a carnivorous animal, the least deficiency of vigour pre- 

 vents its capturing food, and it soon dies of starvation. 

 There is, as a general rule, no mutual assistance 

 between adults, which enables them to tide over a 

 period of sickness. Neither is there any division of 

 labour; each must fulfil all the conditions of its 

 existence, and, therefore, " natural selection " keeps 

 all up to a pretty uniform standard. 



But in man, as we now behold him, this is different. 

 He is social and sympathetic. In the rudest tribes 

 the sick are assisted, at least with food ; less robust 

 health and vigour than the average does not entail 

 death. Neither does the want of perfect limbs, or 

 other organs, produce the same effects as among ani- 

 mals. Some division of labour takes place ; the swiftest 

 hunt, the less active fish, or gather fruits ; food is, to 

 some extent, exchanged or divided. The action of 

 natural selection is therefore checked ; the weaker, the 

 dwarfish, those of less active limbs, or less piercing 

 eyesight, do not suffer the extreme penalty which falls 

 upon animals so defective. 



In proportion as these physical characteristics be- 

 come of less importance, mental and moral qualities 

 will have increasing influence on the well-being of 

 the race. Capacity for acting in concert for pro- 

 tection, and for the acquisition of food and shelter ; 

 sympathy, which leads all in turn to assist each other ; 

 the sense of right, which checks depredations upon our 



