128 THE DESCENT OF MAN. [Part I. 



mesticated, would be more prolific than wild men. It is 

 also probable that the increased fertility of civilized na- 

 tions would become, as with our domestic animals, an in- 

 herited character : it is at least known that with mankind 

 a tendency to produce twins runs in families. 53 



Notwithstanding that savages appear to be less pro- 

 lific than civilized people, they would no doubt rapidly in- 

 crease if their numbers were not by some means* rigidly 

 kept down. The Santali, or hill-tribes of India, have 

 recently afforded a good illustration of this fact ; for they 

 have increased, as shown by Mr. Hunter, 54 at an extraor- 

 dinary rate since vaccination has been introduced, other 

 pestilences mitigated, and war sternly repressed. This 

 increase, however, would not have been possible had not 

 these rude people spread into the adjoining districts and 

 worked for hire. Savages almost always marry; yet 

 there is some prudential restraint, for they do not com- 

 monly marry at the earliest possible age. The young 

 men are often required to show that they can support a 

 wife, and they generally have first to earn the price with 

 which to purchase her from her parents. With savages 

 the difficulty of obtaining subsistence occasionally limits 

 their number in a much more direct manner than with 

 civilized people, for all tribes periodically suffer from se- 

 vere famines. At such times savages are forced to devour 

 much bad food, and their health can hardly fail to be in- 

 jured. Many accounts have been published of their pro- 

 truding stomachs and emaciated limbs after and during 

 famines. They are then, also, compelled to wander much 

 about, and their infants, as I was assured in Australia, 

 perish in large numbers. As famines are periodical, de- 

 pending chiefly on extreme seasons, all tribes must fluc- 



63 Mr. Sedgwick, 'British and Foreign Medico-Chirurg. Review,' July, 

 1S63, p. 110. 



54 ' The Annals of Rural Bengal,' by W. W. Hunter, 1 868, p. 259. 



