Chap. V. CIVILISED NATIONS. 173 



4059 years. 17 Profligate women bear few children, and 

 profligate men rarely marry; both suffer from disease. 

 In the breeding of domestic animals, the elimination of 

 those individuals, though few in number, which are in 

 any marked manner inferior, is by no means an unim- 

 portant element towards success. This especially holds 

 good with injurious characters which tend to reappear 

 through reversion, such as blackness in sheep ; and 

 with mankind some of the worst dispositions, which 

 occasionally without any assignable cause make their 

 appearance in families, may perhaps be reversions to 

 a savage state, from which we are not removed by very 

 many generations. This view seems indeed recognised 

 in the common expression that such men are the black 

 sheep of the family. 



With civilised nations, as far as an advanced stand- 

 ard of morality, and an increased number of fairly 

 well-endowed men are concerned, natural selection ap- 

 parently effects but little ; though the fundamental 

 social instincts were originally thus gained. But I 

 have already said enough, whilst treating of the lower 

 races, on the causes which lead to the advance of 

 morality, namely, the approbation of our fellow-men — 

 the strengthening of our sympathies by habit — example 

 and imitation — reason — experience and even self-inte- 

 rest — instruction during youth, and religious feelings. 



A most important obstacle in civilised countries to 

 an increase in the number of men of a superior class has 

 been strongly urged by Mr. Greg and Mr. Galton, 18 



17 E. Eay Lankester, 'Comparative Longevity,' 1870, p. 115. The 

 table of the intemperate is from Neison's ' Vital Statistics.' In regard 

 to profligacy, see Dr. Farr, " Influence of Marriage on Mortality," ' Nat, 

 Assoc, for the Promotion of Social Science,' 1858. 



18 ' Fraser'.i Magazine,' Sept. 1868, p. 358. 'Macmillan's Magazine,' 

 Aug. 1805, p. 318. The Eev. F. W. Farrar (' Fraser's Mag.,' Aug. 1870, 

 p. 261) tahes a different view. 



