220 PROBLEMS OF HUMAN EVOLUTION 



Natural It is clear now that man with all his science and knowledge of 



amongwild physical laws has not been able to put an end to Natural Selec- 



animals t i on . He has mitigated the struggle for existence, but it still 



and among 



men: a goes on. Among men, as m the animal world generally, elimina- 

 contrast of t i on takes place mainly among the young. But the process of 

 elimination among the lower animals is very different from what 

 it is in the human race. Young swallows, for instance, live, 

 while in the nest, in comfort and luxury. Their parents devote 

 their lives to catching flies for them, so that the huge appetites 

 of the young fledglings are at length satisfied. When they leave 

 the nest they, are still fed on the wing by their parents. This, 

 however, does not last long. They must catch flies for them- 

 selves, and they must find their way, the first broods at anyrate, 

 to Africa unescorted, unguided. And the next year there are 

 no more swallows than before, though there is reason to believe 

 that most of the old birds have once more reached their homes 

 in the North. The young birds, then, after being fed up by 

 their parents to the utmost have been left to face a crisis for 

 themselves. And the result has been that most of them have 

 succumbed. All had their strength developed to the full by 

 high feeding and favourable conditions, then the less fit were 

 eliminated. The inferiority of the system that obtains among 

 men is at once apparent. The feeding and bringing up of the 

 young, among large masses of our population, leave a great deal 

 to be desired. A number of deaths are due to insufficient food, 

 some to actual starvation, many to unsuitability of diet. 1 Thus 

 the struggle for these many thousands is against unsatisfactory 

 conditions during babyhood. Even the survivors never attain 

 their proper strength. Among the lower animals there is proper 

 nursing during the all-important time of helplessness. Then 

 comes a test which weeds out the weaklings. For the child of 

 civilised parents there is often neither such good nursing during 

 infancy nor such a test of stamina afterwards. 

 Struggle Side by side with the struggle between the individual and 



among 



nations l The Society for the prevention of cruelty to children has brought to light many 

 ugly facts. It deserves the gratitude of all English people for the work it has 

 done. 



