Chap. XIX. BEAUTY. 353 



artificially modified this is necessarily the case. The 

 Arab women of the Upper Nile occupy about tliree days 

 in dressing their hair ; they never imitate other tribes, 

 ** but simply vie with each other in the superlativeness 

 " of their own style." Dr. Wilson, in speaking of the 

 compressed skulls of various American races, adds, " such 

 *' usages are among the least eradicable, and long sur- 

 " vive the shock of revolutions that change dynasties 

 " and efface more important national peculiarities." ^^ 

 The same principle comes largely into play in the art of 

 selection ; and we can thus understand, as I have else- 

 where explained,^^ the wonderful development of all the 

 races of animals and plants which are kept merely for 

 ornament. Fanciers always wish each character to be 

 somewhat increased ; they do not admire a medium 

 standard ; they certainly do not desire any great and 

 abrupt change in the character of their breeds ; they 

 admire solely what they are accustomed to behold, but 

 they ardently desire to see each characteristic feature 

 a little more developed. 



No doubt the perceptive powers of man and the 

 lower animals are so constituted that brilliant colours 

 and certain forms, as well as harmonious and rhythmical 

 sounds, give pleasure and are called beautiful ; but why 

 tliis should be so, we know no more than why certain 

 bodily sensations are agreeable and others disagreeable. 

 It is certainly not true that there is in the mind of 

 man any universal standard of beauty with respect to 

 the human body. It is, however, possible that certain 

 tastes may in the course of time become inherited, 

 though I know of no evidence in favour of this belief; 



«^ ' Smithsonian Institution, 1863, p. 289. On the fashions of Arab 

 women, Sir S. Baker, 'Tlie Nile Tributaries,' 3 867, p. 121. 



«^ ' The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication,' vol. i. 

 p. 214 ; vol. ii. p. 240. 



VOL. II. 2 A • 



