336 SEXUAL SELECTION: MAN. [Part II. 



. 68 



The Chinese have by nature unusually small feet 

 and it is well known that the women of the upper classes 

 distort their feet to make them still smaller. Lastly, Hum- 

 boldt thinks that the American Indians prefer coloring 

 their bodies with red paint in order to exaggerate their 

 natural tint ; and until recently European women added 

 to their naturally bright colors by rouge and white cos- 

 metics; but I doubt whether many barbarous nations 

 have had any such intention in painting themselves. 



In the fashions of our own dress we see exactly the 

 same principle and the same desire to carry every point 

 to an extreme ; we exhibit, also, the same spirit of emula- 

 tion. But the fashions of savages are far more permanent 

 than ours ; and whenever their bodies are artificially mod- 

 ified this is necessarily the case. The Arab women of 

 the Upper Nile occupy about three 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 vari- 

 ous American races, adds, " Such usages are among the 

 least eradicable, and long survive the shock of revolu- 

 tions that change dynasties and efface more important 

 national peculiarities." 67 The same principle comes large- 

 ly into play in the art of selection ; and we can thus un- 

 derstand, as I have elsewhere exjnained, 68 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 



quoted by Fritchard, 'Phys. Hist, of Mankind,' 3d edit. vol. v. p. 67.* 

 Lawrence, ' Lectures on Physiology,' p. 33*7. 



66 This fact was ascertained in the ' Reise der Novartt Antbropolog. 

 Theil,' Dr. Weisbach, 1867, s. 265. . 



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

 women, Sir S. Baker, 'The Nile Tributaries,' 1867, p. 121. 



68 ' The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication,' vol. L 

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



