«.;hap. II. Manner of Development. 45 



the greater mortality, from various diseases, of the inhabitants of 

 crowded and miserable houses, at all ages. The effects of severe 

 epidemics and wars are soon counterbalanced, and more thaD 

 counterbalanced, in nations placed under favourable conditions. 

 Emigration also comes in aid as a temporary check, but, with 

 the extremely poor classes, not to any great extent. 



There is reason to suspect, as Malthus has remarked, that the 

 reproductive power is actually less in barbarous, than in civilised 

 races. "We know nothing positively on this head, for with 

 savages no census has been taken; but from the concurrent 

 testimony of missionaries, and of others who have long resided 

 with such people, it appears that their families are usually small, 

 and large ones rare. This may be partly accounted for, as it is 

 believed, by the women suckling their infants during a long 

 time ; but it is highly probable that savages, who often suffer 

 much hardship, and who do not obtain so much nutritious food 

 as civilised men, would be actually less prolific. I have shewn 

 in a former work, 58 that all our domesticated quadrupeds and 

 birds, and all our cultivated plants, are more fertile than the 

 corresponding species in a state of nature. It is no valid 

 objection to this conclusion that animals suddenly supplied with 

 an excess of food, or when grown very fat ; and that most plants 

 on sudden removal from very poor to very rich soil, are 

 rendered more or less sterile. We might, therefore, expect that 

 civilised men, who in one sense are highly domesticated, would 

 be more prolific than wild men. It is also probable that the 

 increased fertility of civilised nations would become; as with our 

 domestic animals, an inherited character : it is at least known 

 that with mankind a tendency to produce twins runs in 

 families. 59 



Notwithstanding that savages appear to be less prolific than 

 civilised people, they would no doubt rapidly increase if their 

 numbers were not by some means rigidly kept down. The San- 

 tali, or hill-tribes of India, have recently afforded a good illustra- 

 tion of this fact ; for, as shewn by Mr. Hunter, 00 they have 

 increased at an extraordinary 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 commonly marry at the 



58 'Variation of Animals and Foreign Medico-Chirurg. Review,' 

 D lants under Domestication,' vol. ii. Julv, 1863, p. 170. 



pp. 111-113, 163. «° 'The Annals of Rural Bengal. 



59 Mr. Sedgwick, 'British and by W. W. Hunter, 1868, p. 259. 



