Chap. V. Moral Facilities. 129 



from the state in which it exists in the lower animals to that in 

 which it exists in man ; but neither my ability nor knowledge 

 permits the attempt. 



It deserves notice that, as soon as the progenitors of man 

 became social (and this probably occurred at a very early period), 

 the principle of imitation, and reason, and experience would 

 have increased, and much modified the intellectual powers in a 

 way, of which we see only traces in the lower animals. 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 the caution of 

 others. 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 greater 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 * 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 pregenitors of man, should become 

 social, they must have acquired the same instinctive feelings, 

 which impel other animals to live in a body ; and they no doubt 

 exhibited the same general disposition. They would have felt 

 uneasy when separated from their comrades, for whom they 

 would have felt some degree of love ; they w T ould have warned 

 each other of danger, and have given mutual aid in attack or 

 defence. All this implies some degree of sympathy, fidelity, and 

 courage. Such social qualities, the paramount importance of 

 which to the lower animals is disputed by no one, were no doubt 



4 I have given instances in mj * Variation of Animal* under Donifstiv* 

 tioa, vol. ii. p. 196. 



7 



