Chap. V. INTELLECTUAL FACULTIES. 161 



the lower animals, namely, through the principle 

 of imitation, together with reason and experience. 

 Apes are much given to imitation, as are the lowest 

 savages ; and the simple fact previously referred to. 

 that after a time no animal can be caught in the same 

 place by the same sort of trap, shews that animals learn 

 by experience, and imitate each others' caution. Now, 

 if some one man in a tribe, more sagacious than the 

 others, invented a new snare or weapon, or other means 

 of attack or defence, the plainest self-interest, without 

 the assistance of much reasoning power, would prompt 

 the other members to imitate him ; and all would thus 

 profit. The habitual practice of each new art must 

 likewise in some slight degree strengthen the intellect. 

 If the new invention were an important one, the tribe 

 would increase in number, spread, and supplant other 

 tribes. In a tribe thus rendered more numerous there 

 would always be a rather better chance of the birth of 

 other superior and inventive members. If such men 

 left children to inherit their mental superiority, the 

 chance of the birth of still more ingenious members 

 would be somewhat better, and in a very small tribe 

 decidedly better. Even if they left no children, the 

 tribe would still include their blood-relations ; and it has 

 been ascertained by agriculturists 4 that by preserving 

 and breeding from the family of an animal, which 

 when slaughtered was found to be valuable, the desired 

 character has been obtained. 



Turning now to the social and moral faculties. In 

 order that primeval men, or the ape-like progenitors 

 of man, should have become social, thev must have 



4 I have given instances in my ' Variation of Animals under Domes- 

 tication/ vol. ii. p. 196. 



VOL. I. M 



